A.J

Last Update: 8/29 5:57 pm
Traditional SUV's look tough and rugged, but have a high risk of rollover accidents.

If you're worried about that risk in an SUV, new government ratings could give you some peace of mind.

2007 and 2008 models are showing progress in their rollover ratings over past models.

The main reason: Most new SUV's are now crossovers, built on a car chassis, which have much lower centers of gravity.Traditional SUVs are on a higher truck frame.

78 new models are now receiving a four star rating in the rollover tests. In 2001 only one SUV received a four star rating.

Newly tested SUV's scoring four stars include the Saturn Outlook/GMC Acadia --highly rated by Consumer Reports -- and Acura MDX....along with the Ford Edge, Chevy Equinox, and Honda CR-V, all crossovers.

(ABC9)