SUV Safety: The New York Times, "Few SUVs Win Highest U.S. Safety Ratings"

          General Motors' sport utility vehicles generally have poor ratings in the government's frontal crash tests but perform well in side-impact crashes, according to results released Wednesday. The 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer, Buick Rainier, GMC Envoy, GMC Envoy XUV and Oldsmobile Bravada each earned three out of five stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's frontal crash tests. But they earned five stars on the side-impact tests.
          The results indicate that side air bags make a bigger difference in passenger cars, which are at risk of being hit by taller and larger vehicles. Crash test results reported last month by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed cars with side air bags protected passengers better than those without.
          NHTSA plans to update its standards for side-impact protection this month. NHTSA Administrator Dr. Jeffrey Runge said last week that the new standards will consider for the first time how well an occupant's head is protected. He said 1,000 lives per year could be saved once automakers make the design changes necessary to meet the new standards.