NHTSA Complaint #739086 — 1996 FORD EXPLORER

ON DEC. 13, 2000, MY 22 YEAR OLD SON TOTALLED THIS VEHICLE AFTER HITTING A PATCH OF "BLACK ICE" WHILE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH. THE VEHICLE ROLLED ACCORDING TO AN EYEWITNESS 4 TIMES AND LANDED ON ITS ROOF. MY SON WAS, THANK GOD, WEARING HIS SEATBELT! HE WAS ABLE TO RELEASE HIS SEATBELT AND CRAWLED THROUGH THE DRIVER'S WINDOW WHICH HAD BEEN BROKEN OUT. HE ESCAPED WITHOUT ANY INJURIES! MY CONCERN IS SO MUCH EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE ROLLOVER POSSIBILITIES WHEN A TIRE BLOWS, WHY NOT THE POSSIBILITY OF FLIPPING WHEN HITTING ICE? IS ANYTHING BEING INVESTIGATED TO CORRECT THE TOP HEAVINESS OF THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY THE 2-DOOR MODELS. MORE EMPHASIS NEEDS TO BE PLACED ON THE NECESSITY OF WEARING SEATBELTS TO SURVIVE A ROLLOVER.. *AK