SUVs: Minimizing the Risk

Car manufacturers are working with the government to minimize the risk of rollover accidents. Rollover accidents, particularly with Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and other top-heavy vehicles, became more and more common through the 1990s as SUVs became more popular with consumers. Though some car companies have implemented new technologies to combat these dangerous occurrences, these incidents still occur with stunning regularity.

There are precautions drivers can take to minimize the risk of rollovers. These precautions include:

• Regular tire care and maintenance, including making sure tires are inflated to the recommended pressure
• Driving at or below the recommended speed limit
• Taking reasonable precautions when utilizing rack mounts on the top of the vehicle; imbalanced loads drastically increase the risk of a rollover occurring in the event of an accident

Though these precautions lower the risk of a rollover accident, there is nothing the driver of the vehicle can do to ensure that a rollover does not occur. There are a variety of circumstances outside the operator’s control that can cause this type of accident. A high rate of speed from other drivers and impact from certain angles increases the chances of these dangerous incidents.

In addition to these factors, some vehicles are poorly designed and are more likely to roll over when an accident occurs. Doing research on the vehicle you are about to purchase can lessen the chance of owning one of these vehicles, but it can often take years of accidents before authorities put the pieces together and realize a certain make and model is at increased risk.

If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a rollover accident, it is important that you make the proper authorities aware of the make and model of the vehicle. Determining whether the other driver or the manufacturer was responsible for the rollover, or whether it was purely accidental, is important to help discover whether or not that particular vehicle is at increased risk of dangerous accidents. Consult an experienced attorney who can help make sure the full facts of the case are known.