Houston, TX Car Accident Lawyer Answers: Why is There Such a High Risk of SUV Rollover in My Ford Explorer?
In fatal crashes, SUVs are twice as likely as cars to have rolled over. SUVs have the highest rate of fatal crashes involving rollover of all vehicle types. Rollover accidents in Houston, TX happen on a regular basis. Some of the high proportion of fatal SUV rollover accidents gets blamed on a propensity for fast, aggressive and distracted driving among SUV owners. Ford Explorers may have a higher number of rollovers just because they remain the most popular SUV overall. There are simply greater numbers of Ford Explorers on the roads.
But much of the tendency for SUV rollover accidents in Houston, TX can be blamed on essential vehicle design. The SUV has a higher center of gravity then most passenger vehicles. The higher center of gravity gets coupled to a relatively narrow wheelbase for the vehicle's height. This can lead to a loss of vehicle stability and balance:
* On curves,
* When cornering,
* Under slippery road conditions, and
* During sudden changes in speed or direction.
As long as SUVs have high center of gravity to narrow wheelbase proportions, we'll probably continue to see regular reports of SUV rollover accidents in Houston, TX.
Over time, automakers have tried to incorporate a lower center of gravity into their designs to try and prevent SUV rollover. They've also tried to enhance vehicle stability and control with ESC (electronic stability control) and ABS (anti-lock braking systems). In spite of these positive developments, local news reports regularly feature single vehicle rollover accidents in Houston, TX. Single vehicle rollover accidents cause more fatalities than any other type of vehicle accident. Indeed, single vehicle rollover accidents represent about 25% of all vehicle accident fatalities annually.
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