A rollover wreck can be devastating for both the people in the vehicle involved and anybody near them on the road.
The better you understand the causes of rollover accidents, the easier you can avoid them – and that’s all part of being a responsible driver. Whether you operate an SUV, a full-sized pickup truck, a delivery van or a semi, rollover accidents are a serious concern. Here’s what you need to know:
High-profile vehicles are more likely to experience rollovers
All of the vehicles named above share some similarities: They all have a high profile that’s well above that of the usual passenger vehicle. This means that their center of gravity is higher, also, which makes them inherently less stable and more likely to end up rolling over as a driver goes around a curve or gets caught in high winds.
In fact, experts say that it only takes a crosswind going 30 mph to create problems for drivers, and high-profile vehicles are better left parked when the wind gets much stronger.
Driver error is the number one cause of rollover accidents
Despite these dangers, less than 4% of rollovers happen due to environmental conditions, and 56% happen on straight roads, not curves or hills. What does contribute to the vast majority of rollover wrecks?
Usually, it all comes down to mistakes made by a driver – and no driver is immune. Roughly 66% of rollovers involve drivers with a decade’s worth of experience or more. The usual contributing factors include:
- Speeding, whether that’s going faster than the posted limit or faster than weather conditions really allow
- Fatigue, which can happen when a driver has poor sleep habits, medical problems or just a busy schedule
- Distractions, which plague drivers of all ages, no matter what vehicle they drive
- Heavy loads, particularly when a truck or SUV carries a load that is top-heavy, not properly secured or liquid
Unfortunately, you can do everything in your power to avoid causing a rollover wreck and still end up in one. If you’ve been injured or a loved one is seriously hurt in a wreck, find out more about your legal options.