In the rollover type of accident a vehicle tips over onto its side or onto the roof. These types of accidents have a much higher fatality rate than other types of collisions. Rollover crashes are divided into two different categories, tripped and untripped. A tripped rollover is caused by some force from an external object, like hitting the curb or crashing into another vehicle. It can also be caused by speed, and friction with the ground.
Untripped Rollovers
When you go around a corner there are at three forces in play. There is the centripetal force, which is the tire force, the centrifugal force, which is the inertial effects and gravity. These three forces acting in unison can cause a rollover crash
Then force from the tires when you make the corner pushes your vehicle towards the center of the curve. This force is acting at ground level and below the center of the mass. The cars inertia acts horizontally going through the center of your vehicles mass, away from the center of the turn. These two forces working together make the vehicle roll towards the outside of the curve. This then makes the weight of the vehicle act downward through the center of the mass in the opposite direction. If these two forces overcome the force of gravity it starts to turn over.
Tripped Rollover
The most common in tripped rollovers is sliding sideways, or your tires hit the curb or crashing into another car can cause the rollover.
There are a lot of reasons for rollover accidents. Just a few are distracted driving, speeding, or driving under the influence of drugs. Tailgating or animals crossing the road can also result in a rollover crash. SUV, minivans and trucks face the most risk of rollover crashes. More than 280,000 rollover crashes are reported every year, claiming more than 10,000 lives annually.
Semi Trucks and Rollovers
Often times the slower movement of a semi truck upsets other drivers. Even though they are slower they cause less of a threat for a collision than does the smaller vehicle.
Semi trucks are involved in fewer traffic accidents than the private vehicles when they are compared on a mile to mile basis. It is much more likely to cause serious injuries or death when a passenger vehicle is involved in a crash with a semi truck.
The Importance of Knowing Safe Driving Tips
The more you learn about safe driving could save your life and the lives of your loved ones. Just a few things to learn are that you should not be texting, not making improper turns or running red lights. Learn the proper right of way before you turn. Be careful when changing lanes, use your turn signals and ease carefully into the next lane.
If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident that wasn’t your fault, please contact the law offices of Eric Harron in the Austin, TX area today at 519-963-8855.
