What You Need to Know about Rollover Accidents

Vehicular accidents involving rollovers are a particularly dangerous type of car accident in Florida that accounts for more than 10,000 traffic fatalities per year in the United States.

By learning more about these types of accidents and how they occur, you can help improve road safety and lower your risk of being seriously injured in an accident.

Rollover Accident Facts & Statistics

• According to the federal road safety website SaferCar.gov, passengers are 75% less likely to be killed in a rollover accident if they are wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision.
• Slowing down to safe speeds when approach steep curves and exercising appropriate caution while driving in inclement weather can help you avoid a rollover accident.
• Approximately 33% of all road fatalities involve a vehicular rollover.
• Tall and narrow vehicles are considerably more likely to be involved in a rollover accident than other vehicles

Types of Rollover Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 95% of all rollover accidents occur when a vehicle leaves the road and trips over obstacles such as guardrails or soft soil. Commonly referred to as tripped rollovers, these accidents are caused when a vehicle’s tires collide with an obstacle at a high rate of speed, causing a driver to lose control of the vehicle as it rolls onto its side.

• Soft Soil Accidents: Many tripped rollovers occur when a vehicle leaves the road and its tires dig into soft soil on an embankment, often as a driver is attempts to navigate a turn at a high rate of speed.
• Guardrail Accidents: Guardrails can be involved in rollover accidents when in a variety of circumstances when a driver loses control of a vehicle. In some cases, cars can become airborne during a rollover if a vehicle collides with a guardrail at a high speed.
• Steep Slope Accidents: These types of rollovers most often occur in off-road situations. A driver of a SUV or pickup truck may lose control of their vehicle while attempt a sharp turn along a steep slope, resulting in a rollover.