During an accident, vehicles are either slowed down
rapidly by hitting an object or are jarred in a different
direction than they were originally heading. Often times,
the impact results in the vehicle skidding or spinning, but
not toppling over---this is due to a low enough center of
gravity and a wide enough track width (center of the right
front tire to the center of the left front tire) to prevent
such an event from occurring. However, if a vehicle has a
high center of gravity and is redirected (as when a driver
steers in one direction and then has to quickly crank the
wheel in the opposite direction) the vehicle can topple and
roll. click here for a free and confidential consultation
All vehicles can roll over if the right conditions are
present, such as a loss of control and sliding into a curb,
ditch or other object. However, SUV's can and do roll over
as a result of hard steering on flat, dry pavement, with no
tripping device. Within the world of SUV rollovers ,
they are perhaps most severe with Japanese vehicles.
From an engineering point of view, a vehicle's stability is
measured by the formula---t/2h---where t is the 'track
width' (center of the right front tire to the center of the
left front tire) and h is the vehicle's center of gravity.
When this number is 1.2 or greater, the vehicle is unlikely
to roll. However, the further the ratio dips below 1.2, the
greater the likelihood of roll over . While many vehicles
have safe ratios, the addition of passengers, cargo and a
full tank of gas all occurs above the center of gravity,
increasing the chance of rollover. Given a real world
scenario, the SUV would probably have cargo, multiple
passengers, etc. This extra weight would definitely lower
the ratio to dangerous levels if an accident were to occur
at normal highway speeds. click here for a free and
confidential consultation
SUV Dangers for Rollover
High Center of Gravity/Narrow Trackwidth: The relationship
between center of gravity and trackwidth is perhaps the most
important factor in determining whether a vehicle will
rollover. SUVs have a much higher center of gravity than
other vehicles. They are, to put it simply, top heavy. When
a driver makes an emergency corrective action, the SUV has a
much greater chance of rolling over.
Advertised to Carry Lots of Weight: SUVs, for the most part,
are advertised as sturdy vehicle that can carry families,
groups of people, tons of equipment, etc. to the farthest
reaches of the globe. SUVs have replaced minivans and
station wagon as the family vehicle of choice. This means
lots of weight is being carried in these cars. Contrary to
the belief that weight reduces the incidence of rollover,
the fact of the matter is that weight actually increases the
propensity of SUVs to rollover. The more weight in the
vehicle, the heavier they are (this weight is carried above
the higher center of gravity), and the easier they tip and
roll.
Absence of Roll Protection: Sport Utility Vehicles are meant
to be driven off road. They were originally designed to be
rough and tumble vehicles that could get their passengers
wherever they wanted to go. (How often do you see ads with
SUV perched on top of an impossibly high mountain top?) Off
road vehicles typically include protection devices such as
rollbars that protect passengers in the event of a rollover
accident. However, car and truck manufacturers realize that
the majority of customers do not drive their SUVs off road
very often and therefore did not include roll bars.
Essentially, SUVs have the body type of an off road vehicle
(high clearance, high center of gravity) without a roll bar
safety device.
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Accident..
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