How Do SUV Rollover Accidents Happen? by:Mark Dacanay
The Ford Bronco and Ford E-series are just two of major SUV brands who received negative publicity for rollover accidents.
The cause of Ford rollover accidents is no different from what causes other brands such as Suzuki Samurai, Jeep CJ, Isuzu Trooper and Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero to rollover. All Sports Utility Vehicles have in common a high center of gravity.
Unlike a regular passenger car, an SUV's suspension is raised higher to accommodate the vehicle's four-wheel drive, which in turn raises the vehicle's center of gravity.
A higher center of gravity makes a vehicle more likely to tip over after impact.
Another factor that contributes to SUV rollover accidents is the track width or the distance between the right and left wheel.
A vehicle with a narrow track width is more likely to rollover during sudden and sharp turns compared to vehicles with a wider track width.
Some SUV manufacturers tried to solve the problem by reducing the steering capacity of some models. However, this also backfired as parking and negotiating a turn on sharp curves became difficult.
The last factor that is usually present in an SUV rollover accident is speed.
As with any other forms of vehicle, the higher the speed, the more difficult it is to control.
Combine that with a high center of gravity and a narrow width length and you may have a rollover accident brewing.
However, an SUV rollover accident does not just happen because of the presence of these factors.
A rollover accident is usually stimulated by any of the three mechanisms. They are:
Excessive cornering - There are three forces that acts when a vehicle rounds a corner. First, the tire pushes the vehicle towards the center of the curve. Second, the force of inertia or the vehicle's tendency to resist acceleration pushes the vehicle's center of mass towards the opposite direction the vehicle is turning. Third, the mass of the vehicle pushes down on the vehicle's center of gravity to prevent rolling over. When the forces exerted by the tire and inertia are enough to overcome the force exerted by the weight of the vehicle then that is when the vehicle rolls over. This usually happens when a vehicle is negotiating a sharp curve on high speed.
Tripping - The physics involved is similar to excessive cornering. This occurs when an SUV is sliding sideways and the tires strike a curb, dig into soft ground or other circumstances that causes a sudden lateral force.
Collision - This occurs when an SUV collides with another vehicle or object, which causes the vehicle to be unstable. An example would be when a narrow object causes one side of the vehicle to move upwards but not the other side, or when a side impact causes a vehicle to accelerate sideways.
SUV rollover accidents can be devastating and usually causes catastrophic injuries like head and spinal injuries.
So if you are involved in an SUV rollover accident, make sure that you get yourself treated and seek assistance from a rollover accident lawyer to know your legal options.
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