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Who doesn’t love a big explosion? Remember back when we could buy cherry bombs and M-80s? Man, those were the days! But like many good (and sometimes dangerous) things, they often come to an end. This brings me to national Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, who recently announced that the government’s automobile crash test program will soon undergo an upgrade. Unlike the now extinct fireworks of our youth, test crashes will soon be bigger, better and more accurate — ultimately providing better safety features in new vehicles.

The new program will impact new trucks and SUVs starting in 2010. The five-star vehicle-rating system previously used will continue despite some who feel it should go bye-bye.

Joan Claybrook, a former president of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wanted to incorporate a “letter grade” rating system much like the elementary school report cards we used to get back when we were lighting off those cherry bombs.

That idea didn’t fly, but there are a number of changes that will offer consumers more valuable information. The new rating system will combine front-end, side and rollover tests to give a more accurate rating. For the first time it will incorporate a vehicle’s ability to prevent head and leg injuries during a head-on collision and will factor in electronic stability control, lane change and forward collision warning systems into the overall rating. Other program changes include using a new model of test dummy to simulate women and children riders.

Claybrook wanted the program to go a few steps further by adding rear crash results, child restraint systems and roll over tests with vehicles that are moving, not merely stationary. With safety being such a huge priority, I can’t help but agree with Claybrook’s first two suggestions, but the third one makes so much sense it is silly.

How many of you are concerned about vehicles rolling over while stationary? While this may occur if someone hits you when you are parked, I would think a rollover is much more likely while moving. If we are going to test for safety, let’s do it in manner consistent with how we actually use these vehicles.