Rollovers are often said to be the most dangerous type of accident. Centrifugal force, the vehicle’s weight and other circumstances can create an extremely hazardous situation for passengers. In many cases, rollovers cause severe trauma or death.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration reports that some factors that lead to rollovers are in a driver’s control, but others are not. Out of fatal rollover crashes, 85% only included one vehicle, which indicates that many are not the fault of another driver. However, one-vehicle crashes don’t always mean that nobody else shares liability. The remaining 15% of fatal crashes could also be the result of someone else poor decision-making.
Drivers may be able to avoid these serious accidents by staying attentive, sober and careful. Higher speeds can increase the chances of generating enough force to topple a vehicle, so drivers need to obey the speed limit. Roads that are curvy, poorly-lit, or without guard rails require extra attention. The NHSTA points out that rural routes can be especially risky.
There is also evidence that the type of vehicle makes rollovers more likely. The NHSTA states that pickup trucks and SUVs are vulnerable to flipping over. These vehicles contain most of their weight at a higher point than other cars. Cars that have a lower center of gravity commonly stick to the ground in an emergency.
Rollover crashes have the potential to involve factors that the driver can’t avoid. For example, a certain model of car may not have proper safety considerations. In another case, a driver might suffer a rollover accident if the city failed to place guard rails along an obviously dangerous road. Furthermore, passengers might suffer life-changing injuries at the hands of the vehicle’s reckless driver. If there’s little that the victim could have done to protect themselves, there’s also a chance that someone else may be liable for the damage.
