Rollover Accident Risks

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Car Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are almost 300,000 rollover accidents that happen every year in this country. More than 10,000 people are killed in these accidents, with countless others seriously injured. The most susceptible vehicles for rollover accidents are SUVs and pickup trucks. The reason these vehicles are at a greater risk than sedans for rollovers is because they have a higher center of gravity.

Just how much difference does the type of vehicle you are in make? In one year, more than 30 percent of rollover accident fatalities involved an SUV, 20 percent more than sedan rollover fatalities.

The cause of rollover accidents has to do with how stable a vehicle is while turning. The relationship of the vehicle’s center of gravity combined with the distance that is between the right and left wheels of the vehicle has a great deal to do with that stability. If the vehicle has a high center of gravity and narrow wheel distance, the more unstable it may be when attempting to make sharp or fast turns. The design of SUVs and pickup trucks make them especially vulnerable to rollovers, and to compound that danger, these vehicles often carrying large loads, which greatly increases the rollover risk even more.

Despite the documented increased risks, there is currently no federal rollover standard in place which vehicle manufacturers are required to adhere to. In 2001, the NHTSA did implement the rollover rating system. The system is based on a one to five-star rating. The agency determines the rating using both engineering analysis of the vehicles and police accident reports. Five stars are awarded to those vehicles which have a less than 10 percent chance of a rollover risk. One star is given to those vehicles with a more than 40 percent rollover risk.

Statistics show that the majority of rollover accident vehicle drivers are male and under the age of 25. In 75 percent of rollover fatalities the victim was ejected from the vehicle, indicating they were not wearing seatbelts.

If you have been injured in a rollover accident, contact an experienced Lake County personal injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have against the driver who caused the accident. Call the law firm of Salvi & Maher, L.L.C. at 847-662-3303 today to schedule a consultation.

Sources:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/rulings/roll_resistance/

http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Shoppers/Rollover/Causes

http://www.safercar.gov/Safety+Ratings