Rollover accidents are somewhat rare, but when they do occur, they usually result in serious injury or death. Rollover deaths amount to about 33% of all passenger fatalities, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths per year. Most rollovers do not involve other vehicles. Speedway Towing & Roadside Assistance offer helpful tips to assist you in avoiding a vehicle rollover.
What Causes a Car to Flip?
Rollovers likely result from one of the following situations:
• A sudden swerve to avoid a road obstacle.
• Striking a curb or losing control on the road edge driving at too high of a speed.
• Driver veers off the road due to inattention while driving. Driver fatigue and vehicle operator being distracted.
• 3 out of 4 fatalities due to rollovers occur on rural roads with a speed limit of 55 mph or less.
• Forty percent are due to excessive speed.
• Nearly half are caused by being intoxicated.
• A high proportion are light trucks and vans (higher center of gravity) involved in rollover accidents.
• Poor conditions such as rain, wet roads, fog, darkness and for high profile vehicles the wind.
How to Avoid a Car Rollover Accident
First keep your vehicle in good operating condition and be alert while operating your car or truck. Since most rollover accidents are solo affairs it is up to you to avoid an accident. The following are few tips to avoid your demise:
• Drive a newer vehicle. The newer the vehicle the better. Electronic stability controls and side-curtain airbags are to be considered and highly recommended. Remember, rural driving may be a lonely experience. If you have an accident it will be a while before your situation is even discovered let alone first response help arrives.
• Wear your seat belt. Most fatalities are because the person is ejected from the vehicle often into the rolling vehicles path.
• Check tire condition and inflation. Bad tires spell disaster.
• Car maintenance. A well maintained vehicle tends to be safer than a neglected vehicle.
• Avoid over loading your vehicle. Your Mini-Cooper is not a pickup truck. Roofs are not the ideal place to carry items as it wreaks havoc with aerodynamics and raises your center of gravity. A light truck is limited to loads well under a ton, heed load capacity warnings.
• Don’t speed. High speeds tend to aggravate loads on steering and control. Physical forces go up with vehicle speed, you may get away with breaking traffic laws, but those physical laws are unforgiving with a high penalty attached.
• Driving on country and gravel roads demands caution. Many vehicle rollovers occur on non divided roads and highways (no dividing barriers).
• Avoid distractions with driving. No phones, talking or texting. Avoid eating and drinking. Driving and multitasking are kind of like oil and water, they don’t mix. Tired; pull over, preferably at a rest stop. Take a power nap.
• Pre-trip inspection. Truckers do it, you should too. A pre-trip inspection checks for mechanical problems.
Towing Service, Roadside Assistance & More in Irving, Fort Worth, Arlington, Carrollton & Plano Texas
The point is to lessen your chances of a mishap due to mechanical failure. Tire inflation, loose bumper, loose exhaust, damage, long trip? Check fluid levels, you don’t want to overheat the engine driving through Death Valley, ‘death’ is in the name for a reason. Accidents are best avoided. If not improve your chances of survival. After that is up to you the driver to increase your chances of survival by being alert and diligent to the road ahead. Drive Safe! If you do need towing or road side assistance, contact Speedway Towing & Roadside Assistance right away.
