May 22-24 RCAA event, location TBA. Information: 801/288-2574, www.rockcrawler.org
May 23-25 15th Arch Canyon Jeep Jamboree, San Juan County, UT. Information: Jeep Jamboree USA, 530/333-4777, www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
May 24-25 Trail ride in Cumberland Plateau area, Monteagle, TN. Information: 770/478-2587, or email rokkdancer@aol.com
May 24-26 CORR Lucas Oil Series off-road race, Dresser, WI. Information: Championship Off-Road Racing, 317/272-2827, www.corracing.com
May 30-June 1 11th Hole in the Rock Jeep Jamboree, Blanding, UT. Information: Jeep Jamboree USA, 530/333-4777, www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
May 30-June 1 10th Pine Barrens Jeep Jamboree, Hammonton, NJ. Information: Jeep Jamboree USA, 530/333-4777, www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
May 30-June 1 35th Tecate SCORE Baja 500, Ensenada, Baja, Mexico. Information: SCORE International, 818/225-8402, www.score-international.com
Nice Briarwood. Too bad it's likely to be stolen, says the NICB
SUVs Make Most-Stolen List
Two SUVs and two pickups made it on the most recent list of the 10 most commonly stolen vehicles, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
Lucky us.The NICB tracked FBI Uniform Crime Reports to compile the data, which show that the Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee were the most-stolen trucks in 2001, landing them at No. 5 on the list. Right behind them at No. 6 was the Chevy C/K fullsize pickup, with Ford's F-150 occupying the No. 10 spot. Of the 50 most commonly stolen vehicles in 2001, one-third were SUVs, pickups, or minivans.
Topping the list were the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Honda Civic, in that order. So we now have statistics that prove driving a truck is "safer" than three of the most popular imports. In terms of vehicle theft, anyway.
Coolest Reading Places
Chris Collard of Rocklin, California, wrote to tell us he stuck a copy of our favorite 4x4 magazine in his backpack as he left for Africa. "This shot is from on top of the Sossusvlei Sand Dunes, Namibia, in southwestern Africa. At 892 feet from the summit to Dead Vlei, the alkali flat below, it is reported to be one of the tallest in the world."
Rubicon Transfer Case at Advance AdaptersDrooling over parts on the new Wrangler Rubicon? Well, some pieces have hit the aftermarket. Advance Adapters is now carrying the Rubicon's NV2410R transfer case, also known as the Rock-Trac. This chaindriven case features a 4:1 low-range and a fixed rear yoke and is designed as a bolt-in replacement for 23-spline NP231J cases. Contact Advance Adapters, 805/238-7000, for more info.
Environmental & Political Watch
Anti-SUV War Heats Up: On the heels of the "What Would Jesus Drive" and "Buy an SUV/Support Terrorism" campaigns, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that pickups and SUVs aren't safe enough. In a speech given earlier this year, Jeffrey Runge noted an increase in single-vehicle rollover fatalities during 2001 and said that an SUV occupant was three times as likely to die as the result of a rollover than an occupant in a passenger car. He believes if the factories don't step up safety measures in SUVs-like equipping more of them with head-protecting side-curtain airbags-then the government should step in and mandate the equipment.
Right now the side-curtain airbags are available as standard equipment in some SUVs and optional in others, but a spokesperson from Ford said that very few customers ordered the optional bags. Ford would rather have new technologies be driven by consumer demand, not government mandate, she said.