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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
SUVs are more stable and less prone to rollovers than they were in 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday.
The government agency said 2005 model SUVs showed "significant improvement" in rollover tests, with 24 vehicles scoring four out of a possible five stars. That compares to just one SUV which earned that rating in 2001, when NHTSA began rating the vehicles for rollover risk.
A vehicle with a four-star rating has a rollover risk of between 10 percent and 20 percent if involved in a single-vehicle crash.
The highest rated 2005 model vehicle in this round of results was the Ford Freestyle 4x4, which earned four stars and has a 13 percent chance of rollover, NHTSA said.
NHTSA also tested pickup trucks and passenger cars, whose rollover scores were similar to previous years' results.
The Chevrolet Colorado 4x4, the GMC Canyon, the Dodge Dakota 4x4 and Dodge Ram 1500 4x2 tied for the top spot among pickups. Each scored a four-star rating with a 17 percent chance of rollover, NHTSA said.
The top performing passenger car in this round of tests was the Ford Mustang, which earned five stars with an 8 percent chance of rolling over if involved in a single-vehicle crash.
Rollover crashes can happen in any type of vehicle, but SUVs and pickup trucks generally ride higher off the ground than passenger cars and have higher centers of gravity, which make them more prone to rolling over if involved in a single-vehicle crash, according to the agency.
See how family sedans performed in a recent frontal crash test..
Vehicles mentioned in this story:
Ford Freestyle
Chevrolet Colorado
GMC Canyon
Dodge Dakota
Dodge Ram 1500
Ford Mustang
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