SUVs continue to be popular vehicles among California commuters. Several reasons contribute to this, with safety ranking high on the list. Sports utility vehicles are much larger than the average car, leading some to believe they can better handle crashes. While it is true many SUVs come with safety-conscious designs and features, no one should assume driving an SUV automatically protects the occupants from crash injuries. SUVs could be more prone to rollovers, which may result in fatalities.
SUVs and rollover dangers
An SUV’s body provides a decent amount of protection, especially if a smaller vehicle strikes it. However, there are limitations, and any vehicle could suffer a crushed frame upon impact. That said, SUV occupants could be much safer inside their vehicle than those in a smaller car that crashed into them.
SUVs might be more prone to rollovers, though. An SUV has a unique center of gravity inherent to its design. Additionally, the ride height is higher than a traditional vehicle’s. So, if an SUV hits another car or, for that matter, the curb or a pothole, it could suffer a rollover.
Rollovers may result in serious injuries to those inside the SUV. Also, the rolling SUV could crash into another vehicle or hit a pedestrian since the driver would not likely have any way to stop the uncontrolled movement.
Rollovers and litigation
The fallout from SUV accidents may involve an injury victim filing a lawsuit. In some cases, the SUV manufacturer could be liable if defects caused the rollover. In other instances, another driver might be responsible for the collision.
Sometimes, the SUV driver is responsible for a crash. Reckless driving by the SUV driver that results in a rollover accident could establish a negligence claim. .