What We Do > Roll-Over Accidents
SUV Design Changes May Increase Safety-February 6, 2006
According to a study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the number of side-impact SUV accident deaths decreased by nearly half when automakers were forced to lower SUV's by as little as half an inch and/or equip them with hollow impact-absorbing bars below the bumpers.
Industry seal on SUV rollover documents challenged-December 2, 2005
Trail lawyers for Public Justice and consumer watchdog group Public Citizen filed a legal challenge today to a Florida court order sealing "smoking gun: exhibits from a SUV rollover case decided last spring involving fatal injuries. At the request of Ford, documents showing that throughout the late 1990s Ford weakened the roof of its popular Ford Explorer SUV and has an extremely low margin of safety in rollover crashes have been sealed.
Dangers for SUV Rollover Accidents
Understanding the risks involved in driving a sport utility vehicle may help prevent unnecessary SUV rollover accidents.
Center of Gravity
A high center of gravity/narrow track width is one of the most important factors in determining a potential SUV rollover. Since SUVs have a higher center of gravity than other vehicles on the road it makes them top heavy. A corrective action puts an SUV in a rollover position.
Added Weight
SUVs are supposed to be able to carry a heavy load of people, equipment, etc, over any type of terrain. This has made SUVs a family car, rather than for simply off-roading. More weight increases the chances of an SUV rollover accident occurring, despite the belief that added weight will add stability.
Roll Protections
An SUV without roll protection is what makes an SUV rollover accident so dangerous. Although SUVs were made for the purpose of off-roading manufacturers realized the use of SUVs as a family car and did not include roll bars. While the body of an SUV remained the same as it would if used for off-roading, the removal of the roll bars combined with the high clearance and high center of gravity make rollover accidents that much more fatal.
SUV Rollover Crash Facts
- Crashes in which a vehicle rolled over accounted for more than half of all single-vehicle crash deaths. (NHTSA)
- Vehicle rollover crashes are especially serious because they so often result in head injuries. Head trauma is the most frequent type of fatal and nonfatal injury in rollovers. (NHTSA)
- The rate of serious injury in passenger vehicle rollover crashes is 36 percent higher than in crashes were there is no rollover. (NHTSA)
- More than 90 percent of passenger vehicle rollover crashes are single-vehicle crashes, and 8,345 of the 10,142 occupant deaths occurred in single-vehicle rollover crashes. (NHTSA)
If your loved one has been injured or died from an accident caused by a roll-over there is a legal deadline for filing these lawsuits, so call NOW toll free 1-888-888-3773. The consultation and call are FREE.