AAA Press Release: Rollover Warning Label Won't Do

08/16/96

AAA Says Rollover Label Won't Do Job


WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 -- The American Automobile
Association said today that a proposed label on new car stickers to
alert consumers about rollover hazard would be ineffective.

In a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
AAA said the labeling would be insufficient unless other factors such
as driver behavior, speed, road conditions and the use of alcohol are
taken into account.

"AAA generally supports NHTSA's goal of providing consumers with
information about vehicle rollover accidents and how to avoid them,"
said James L. Kolstad, vice president, public and government
relations, "but the proposal fails to demonstrate how a label on a new
vehicle in a dealer's showroom is the best way to provide rollover
information to a prospective buyer.

"The proposal doesn't provide examples of what information the label
would convey, where it would be displayed, or any requirement that the
information be accurate, easily understood, or useful," Kolstad said.
"It also implies that a single label could be used on all types of
vehicles when it is clear from research that different types of
vehicles have different rollover propensities."

NHTSA data show that rollovers rank as the third most likely accident
to result in death or injury to motorists, following frontal and side
impact accidents.  Twice as many trucks, sport utilities and vans are
involved in rollovers as cars, and rollovers are a single-vehicle
phenomenon.  Of more than 166,000 rollover crashes yearly, the
majority -- l36,000 -- involve a single vehicle, according to NHTSA.
"In other words, rollovers are usually the result of driver behavior,
excessive speed, alcohol and the design of the vehicle," Kolstad said.

"Owner information on rollovers should go well beyond a discussion of
vehicle characteristics and their resistance to rollover.  It must
include other major contributing factors," Kolstad said.

"As a pioneer in driver education programs, AAA has played a
continuing role in educating the driving public about rollover
prevention.  We believe that improved public awareness and driver
education offer greater potential for avoiding rollover crashes than a
label which will not reach the drivers who are most likely to be
involved in rollover crashes," he said.