Rollover Fatalities
2009 March 30
Rollovers account for a full one-third (33%) of all traffic fatalities. Approximately 10,000 people die a year in rollover fatality accidents. These shocking statistics may have been posted here before. It is likely that they will be posted here again at some point. NHTSA reports:
Rollovers are dangerous incidents and have a higher fatality rate than other kinds of crashes. Of the nearly 11 million passenger car, SUV, pickup and van crashes in 2002, only 3% involved a rollover. However, rollovers accounted for nearly 33% of all deaths from passenger vehicle crashes. In 2002 alone, more than 10,000 people died in rollover crashes.
Public Citizen published a paper in 2008 detailing ways to increase the survivability of a rollover. Their suggestions were:
Adequate Occupant Protection Makes Rollovers Survivable
- Most rollovers are essentially low-force crashes that have been demonstrated to be easily survivable if occupants are properly protected.
- Race cars have been equipped with roll cages and effective restraint systems for decades, and while they are routinely involved in more serious rollovers than the rollovers that occur on public roads, there has never been a documented case of a race car driver seriously injured or killed in a crash where a rollover was the most serious event.
- In a passenger vehicle, the protection of a racing car can be provided with a strong roof, a safety belt system that has a rollover-triggered pretensioner, the interior padding in the head impact area now required by FMVSS 201, and windows that do not fail in a rollover.
The statistics regarding rollover fatalities are alarming and inexcusable. There are many ways to increase the safety of an occupant in a rollover. A stronger roof, a rollover triggered pretensioner, laminated glass in the windows, rollover activated side curtain airbags, and an all belts to seat seatbelt systems are just a few ways to protect occupants in a rollover. As discussed in previous posts, and will be discussed in later posts, preventing rollovers completely should be the first goal.
