His company analyzes roof designs for expert court testimony and automotive consultations. "We buy roofs all the time and cut them up. When we look at the 'baloney slices' of the Volvo we see a dramatic difference." High-strength steel is larger in diameter, it's thicker and the section sizes are larger and internally reinforced rather than relying on a simpler, weaker tube construction.

Stronger roof standards would likely bring more vehicles into body shops, according to Parr. "Whenever you roll a car over now it's usually a throw-away – it's totaled – and it doesn't have to be that way," he says.

Parr, Lawlor, Claybrook and Forrest all point to the Volvo XC-90 as the gold standard for roof excellence. Its 3.8-level roof is able to withstand multiple flips. The car was designed throughout with occupant safety in mind, Forrest said.