Rollover Accidents: Crashworthiness and Defects
A car accident can certainly leave devastating effects to the vehicle itself and to its occupants. People can get injured severely, which may lead to a long term disability – or worse death – while the vehicle can get wrecked. According to Hugh De Haven, Father of Crash Survivability, there are certain principles that car designers and manufacturers should take note in order to minimize injuries during a crash.
• The car should not collapse under reasonable or expected force.
• Car structures should be strong enough to be able to absorb the force of a crash.
• Passengers should be immobilized within the vehicle and restrained.
In order to check these principles, a crashworthiness test is done before cars can be made available to the public. Sadly, not all manufacturers test their cars before selling it out. They are also reluctant in adhering to the principles because it may make the production of the car more expensive. Such negligence causes accidents due to defective car parts, one of which is a rollover accident.
Rollover accidents occur when a vehicle, more commonly an SUV, truck or van, trips over an object or an uneven pavement on the road, causing it to tip over. Other reasons behind a rollover include:
• Turning quickly or sharply. This makes the vehicle’s center of gravity higher, making a rollover to likely occur.
• A vehicle falling down an edge.
• When it is side-impacted by another car during a multi-vehicle crash.
Like what was mentioned earlier, car defects are one of the primary reasons behind a rollover crash. The most common vehicular defects associated with rollover accidents are the following.
• Roof crushing: In 2008, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that roof weakness is a contributing factor in deaths or injuries in a rollover. The government requires that cars should “sustain no more than 5 inches of crush while supporting 1.5 times the vehicle's weight.” But some car manufacturers claim that there is no correlation between the roof’s strength and the injuries sustained.
• Restraint failure: Many states have mandated laws on wearing seatbelts for safety. However, during a rollover crash, a defective seatbelt may malfunction. It may unlatch or the belt retractor may fail. Any defect on the seatbelt may release the person, throwing him off a rolling car.
• Brake failure: Unresponsive brakes can cause a rollover accident, especially when a car does a quick or sharp turn.
• The car should not collapse under reasonable or expected force.
• Car structures should be strong enough to be able to absorb the force of a crash.
• Passengers should be immobilized within the vehicle and restrained.
In order to check these principles, a crashworthiness test is done before cars can be made available to the public. Sadly, not all manufacturers test their cars before selling it out. They are also reluctant in adhering to the principles because it may make the production of the car more expensive. Such negligence causes accidents due to defective car parts, one of which is a rollover accident.
Rollover accidents occur when a vehicle, more commonly an SUV, truck or van, trips over an object or an uneven pavement on the road, causing it to tip over. Other reasons behind a rollover include:
• Turning quickly or sharply. This makes the vehicle’s center of gravity higher, making a rollover to likely occur.
• A vehicle falling down an edge.
• When it is side-impacted by another car during a multi-vehicle crash.
Like what was mentioned earlier, car defects are one of the primary reasons behind a rollover crash. The most common vehicular defects associated with rollover accidents are the following.
• Roof crushing: In 2008, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that roof weakness is a contributing factor in deaths or injuries in a rollover. The government requires that cars should “sustain no more than 5 inches of crush while supporting 1.5 times the vehicle's weight.” But some car manufacturers claim that there is no correlation between the roof’s strength and the injuries sustained.
• Restraint failure: Many states have mandated laws on wearing seatbelts for safety. However, during a rollover crash, a defective seatbelt may malfunction. It may unlatch or the belt retractor may fail. Any defect on the seatbelt may release the person, throwing him off a rolling car.
• Brake failure: Unresponsive brakes can cause a rollover accident, especially when a car does a quick or sharp turn.
Labels: Rollover Accidents
posted by Mesriani Law at
7:11 PM
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