Rollover Car Accidents.

By far, the deadliest risk facing SUV, minivan and truck drivers is a rollover car accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 280,000 rollover accidents are reported each year, taking more than 10,000 lives annually. In 2003 alone, 35.7% of fatal SUV accidents resulted in a rollover. That same year, 15.8% of fatal passenger car accidents resulted in a rollover. What this statistic points out is the fact that SUVs are much more likely to rollover in serious car accident, and the fact that SUVs often carry heavy loads makes them even more top-heavy and thus are more likely to be involved in rollover auto accidents.

As car accident attorneys in San Diego, we know how easy it is to flip a car upside down. In fact, if you have access to the internet, search “rollover car accident” in a streaming video site such as Youtube, and you will better understand the horrors of such car accidents. Part of the continuing car accident attorney training in our law firm involves going to specialty seminars where we have seen cars that are prone to rolling over, such as the Ford Explorer. Not only are many cars inclined to roll over, but many have poor structural designs, namely the roof, which must be stout in a rollover car accident.

rollover-accident Rollover accidents are directly related to an automobile’s stability in turns; that stability is influenced by the relationship between the car’s center of gravity and the width between the left and right wheels (track width). A high center of gravity and narrow track can make an automobile unstable in fast turns or sharp changes of direction — increasing the odds that it will tip over once it begins to skid sideways. The problem is most pronounced in 4-wheel-drive pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles, which have a higher ground clearance for off-road driving.

Most fatal rollover accidents are single-car accidents that occur on weekend nights. The car drivers are frequently males under 25 years of age, and alcohol (DUI) is usually involved. In three out of four fatal rollover accidents, the people in the car accident were ejected from the automobile, indicating that they were not wearing a seatbelt.

Neither cars nor trucks are subject to a Federal Government Rollover Standard, although pressure for such a requirement has been building. To help predict which vehicles might have a greater likelihood to overturn in single-vehicle accidents, NHTSA introduced a rollover rating system in 2001. Reported on a five-star system, the rollover ratings are based on an engineering analysis of each vehicle’s center of gravity and the width between the front tires. The results are compared with police accident reports for confirmation. In its rating system, five stars equals a rollover risk of less than 10 percent, while one star indicates a greater than 40 percent rollover risk.

In the event that a rollover accident does occur, the majority of the determination in the fatality factor is how easily the roof of the car caves in. That is why, as car accident lawyers, we believe that two different types of standards regarding rollover car accidents should be implemented. First is the determination of the standard for the center of gravity for the car. And the next is the strength of the roof pillars for the car in the event of a car accident. These two rules being implemented could potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives every year in rollover car accidents.

Call us now or click here for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced automobile accident attorney as to how we may help you at 1-800-655-6585. We look forward to providing good advice to help you make smart decisions about your case.

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[caption id="attachment_21715" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo Credit: The San Diego Union Tribune"][/caption] Last week, we reported on a car accident in San Diego that resulted out of alleged teen street racing. In new developments, the 18-year-old driver charged with the death of the two teenagers involved in the street racing has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter among four other charges according to reports at the San Diego Union Tribune. The news follows the earlier arrest of another 16-year-old driver that was taken into custody on similar charges. Just shortly after his arraignment, Michael Johnson, the 18-year-old driver of a Volvo S40, said, according to his attorney, that he is not the responsible party in the tragic San Diego accident fatalities that occurred April 4. Accident reports indicate that Johnson was returning from a spring break beach party in La Jolla when he was allegedly involved in a street racing contest with another teen driver – the unidentified 16-year-old driver of a Volkswagen Passat whose name has not been released since he is a minor. According to Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler, the two vehicles were zigzagging across lanes at speeds reaching up to a staggering 100 m.p.h. The 16-year-old driver in the Passat lost control over the vehicle, causing the car to flip over several times across multiple lanes of the road. Two passengers, Anthony Foreman, 18, and Jayli Campbell, 16, were thrown from the Passat and died at the scene of the accident. Two passengers survived the crash. Charlotte McQuillen, survived the accident although she suffered serious injury as a result of the collision including reports that say the teen will have to recover from traumatic brain injury. Anthoney Taylor, 16, also survived the crash although his injuries are unclear at this time. Johnson did not flee the scene of the accident according to police reports and cooperated with authorities once officers assessed the scene of the collision. The teen has no prior criminal record, although authorities say his vehicle was found containing a small amount of marijuana. Johnson is being charged with intoxicated driving, although his lawyer says there were no field sobriety tests to confirm the teen’s alleged intoxication. Teen driving: reminders for concerned parents Last week, we blogged on actions parents can take to prevent teen car accidents. Tips include:

Sign a parent-teen contract. Download your free contract now.
Enforcing the rules. Every teen driver needs to know that rules are there for a purpose, and when they are broken, consequences will follow.
Have a DUI backup plan. As most parents can attest, there are many instances when teen drivers run into problems that supersede their know-how and maturity. Drinking is one of those problems. In cases of emergency, your teen should have an open-door policy where they feel safe to call you when they need help – such in the case of drunk driving or driving while intoxicated.

About the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC The Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC are specialists in car accident injury. Every personal injury attorney in our San Diego office works hard to seek maximum recovery for every injured client. Your case is handled without any out-of-pocket costs, so do not hesitate to speak to a San Diego personal injury lawyer today for a free legal evaluation. Call us at 1-800-655-6585.