Grzebieta said he is calling for a formal industry rollover crashworthiness standard commonly known as an Australian Design Rule (ADR) to be introduced for vehicles.

"More than 250 Australians a year face the risk of serious injury or fatality as a result of rollover crashes," he said.

"But despite these figures, we do not have any standards to reduce rollover crash injuries.

"We have standards for side impacts and frontal impacts, but not for rollovers - all because vehicle manufacturers do not want to strengthen their roofs.

"I'm calling for authorities within Australia, as well as internationally, to introduce a dynamic rollover crashworthiness mandatory test procedure that protects vehicle occupants in the event of a rollover crash," he said.

Grzebieta is part of a research team that is introducing a rollover crash testing procedure that could help federal regulatory authorities formulate a national rollover crashworthiness design rule that would result in increased vehicle roof strength.

As well as appealing to federal authorities to introduce this lifesaving design rule, Grzebieta said his organisation will also apply pressure to consumer testing bodies, such as the Australian New Car Assessment Program, to adopt the crash test procedure to rate the rollover crashworthiness of vehicles if an ADR is not introduced.