A Decrease In SUV Rollovers In the Future?
Did you know that sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have the the highest rate of deaths occurring in rollover wrecks? According to the Federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 61% of fatalities in rollover crashes come from SUVs.
Because of the height and size of an SUV, it has the propensity to rollover when it is steered hard in an accident avoidance maneuver. Many SUVs have a higher center of gravity and a narrower distance between the wheels which contributes to a rollover. In recent years there has been much consumer demand for SUVs and car makers continue to churn out these vehicles without making any changes to protect drivers and passengers. An SUV rollover not only is dangerous to the driver and passengers in the SUV, it’s dangerous for other cars that are on the road when a rollover happens.
However, all this could change in the future because the government is requiring automakers to install anti-rollover technology in all vehicles by 2012. According to this article at CBS News, the technology, known as electronic stability control, or ESC, has been called the greatest safety advance since the seat belt. The technology helps drivers avoid skidding on icy or slick roads and maintain control of their vehicles when swerving to avoid an unexpected object in the middle of the road. It’s possible that this new technology could possibly save up to 9,600 lives annually.
An SUV rollover case in Richmond can be quite complex, as any auto accident case is. Knowledge of Virginia laws governing negligence as well as federal safety regulations is important, which dictates the help of an experienced accident attorney who is aware of all these laws and regulations.
If you have been injured in an SUV rollover accident, call O’Bryan Law at (800) 222-4189 for a free consultation.