Car Rollover Accident Statistics
The deadliest risk facing occupants of an SUV or pickup truck is a rollover accident. Because of their design, these vehicles have a high center of gravity and higher ground clearance than other vehicles—making them more likely to roll over when involved in a serious accident. Additional passengers and cargo, which these vehicles are often designed to carry, further increases this danger.
In 2014, twenty-two percent of the total deaths that occurred in cars were caused by rollover accidents. In contrast, forty-four percent of deaths in pickup trucks, and fifty percent of deaths in SUVs were attributed to rollovers. Driver error may also be a factor, as owners of SUVs and pickup trucks are more likely to drive on rural roads where rollovers are more common. Occupants of pickups are also less likely to be wearing seat belts, which leads to more serious injuries or death when a rollover occurs.
Lowering your Risk of Serious Injury in a Rollover
Only three percent of all serious crashes involve rollovers, but thirty percent of occupant deaths occur during a rollover accident. Because eighty percent of rollovers are single car accidents, some of the, may be preventable. There are several things you can do to reduce the likelihood of a rollover, including obeying the speed limit, keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure and replacing them as recommended, as well as driving with extra caution on rural roads where seventy-five percent of all fatal rollover accidents occur.
Seatbelt use is the most effective way of reducing the likelihood that you will be seriously injured or killed if you are involved in a rollover crash. Sixty-six percent of people who were killed in rollover crashes in 2014 were not wearing their safety belts. Multiple crash tests have proven that remaining in the vehicle during a rollover affords occupants the protection of restraint systems and structural components that can prevent serious injury.
Car Rollover Accidents In Chicagoland
Despite taking proper precautions, you may still find yourself involved in a rollover accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that up to ninety percent of single-vehicle rollover accidents involving a fatality occurred while the driver was engaged in a standard driving maneuver. This statistic indicates that most of these accidents are not caused by speeding, distracted driving, or driving while intoxicated.
Because many rollover accidents in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are caused by roadway hazards, poor vehicle design, or other factors beyond the driver’s control, it is important to determine the cause so that the proper party is held liable. In order to do this, you will want to work with an experienced Chicago car accident lawyer.
Experienced & Dedicated Car Accident Lawyers – Shea Law Group
Representatives of large insurance companies and car manufacturers will do everything they can to defer responsibility for injury or death caused by any serious accident. These corporate entities enlist highly-skilled teams of legal experts to protect their interests and reduce payouts to accident victims. However, at Shea Law Group, we have extensive experience achieving positive results for our clients in these types of situations.
If you or someone you care about has been involved in a rollover accident, or has been seriously injured in any type of vehicular accident, a dedicated Chicago car accident lawyer from Shea Law Group can help you attain the settlement you and your family are entitled to. Call (877)-365-0040 for your free, no obligation consultation today.
