Editorial: Safety on a roll

Monday, Sept. 18, 2006 | 7:15 a.m.

Federal highway safety regulators have proposed requiring that auto manufacturers install electronic anti-rollover controls as standard features in new passenger vehicles starting in 2009.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is accepting public comment for 60 days on the regulation it proposed Thursday. The rule would require all passenger vehicles weighing fewer than 10,000 pounds to be equipped with electronic stability controls starting in 2009 and to have the feature available as standard equipment on all vehicles by the 2012 model year, which begins with those built in September 2011.

The system is paired with anti-lock brakes. When it senses the potential of a slide, the system adjusts steering and speed to bring the vehicle under control, therefore helping to prevent the vehicle from skidding off the road and rolling over.

Crashes involving rollovers result in more than 10,000 deaths annually, and nearly all of them occur after the vehicle has left the roadway, the agency says.

This technology is expected to save 5,300 to 10,300 lives and prevent up to 252,000 injuries each year, the agency says. Results of a 2004 study suggested that this technology reduced single-vehicle crashes by 30 percent for passenger cars and by more than 60 percent for sport-utility vehicles. It is estimated to add $111, on average, to the cost of vehicles that already are equipped with anti-lock brakes.

While such technology may go a long way toward preventing these tragedies, it is important to note that no safety feature can fully replace good judgment on the part of drivers.

So although we applaud federal regulators for making this bold proposal that undoubtedly will result in saving lives, we also hope that motorists won't be lulled into a false sense of security and lose sight of their responsibilities behind the wheel. The best way to avoid losing control of a vehicle is to pay attention and maintain a safe speed.