SUV Rollovers and Roof Crush Accidents

Due primarily to their larger size and higher center of gravity, SUVs are more likely to roll over and sustain serious roof damage, injuring or killing the vehicle occupants.

According to a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the number of deaths associated with side-impact accidents decreased by almost half when auto manufacturers lowered the height of the SUVs by as little as half an inch and/or included impact bars beneath the bumpers of the vehicles.

As early as 1988, in a report issued jointly by Consumers Union and the Center for Auto Safety, the Suzuki Samurai, a small SUV, was linked with an increased rate of rollover accidents. Since that time, the evidence has mounted considerably that many SUVs on the market are disproportionately likely to tip and roll over during an accident, thus increasing the incidence of serious injuries and fatalities.

In a survey of 1996 data, 53% of fatal SUV crashes involved a rollover, compared to only 19% of fatal crashes in regular passenger cars. While many fatal SUV accidents result in the death of occupants of other vehicles involved in a crash, SUV drivers and passengers were shown in a 2004 study to be 11% more likely to be killed in an automobile accident than those in traditional passenger cars.

Despite the evidence, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) abandoned efforts to institute new rollover safety standards for SUVs and other light trucks in 1994, citing the costs to the automotive industry in having to comply with new design standards.

SUV Safety Standards

Even though SUVs are frequently chosen by consumers to serve as passenger vehicles, SUVs are classified as light trucks, which are subject to lower safety standards than traditional passenger cars.

SUVs require less protection from side-impacts and roof crush than even lighter passenger cars.

SUVs also frequently have more rigid construction and less bumper reinforcement, which may increase injuries to both the SUV occupants and other accident victims.

What to do

If you or someone you care about has been injured in an SUV accident involving a rollover or roof crush damage, seek the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible to preserve all of your rights.

For more information on SUV rollovers, click here to visit a website for SUV rollover personal injury attorneys.

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