Vehicle rollovers are among the most dangerous and terrifying car accidents. They can easily kill or severely injure drivers and passengers, and survivors can suffer devastating emotional trauma. Any driver who’s been involved in a vehicle rollover accident (or is at high risk for one) must learn how to stay safe going forward and recover as effectively as possible.
Here, we’ll take a look at the dangers of vehicle rollover and offer safety tips to help you reduce rollover risk. We also address how to physically and emotionally recover more effectively and manage the legal aspects of your accident.
How Do Vehicle Rollovers Happen?
A vehicle rollover begins when an automobile loses its balance. This can happen due to reckless or unintentional sharp turns, tires losing their grip on the road, poor highway conditions, low visibility, stormy weather, or speeding. The resulting sideways forces throw off a vehicle’s center of gravity.
If the driver continues to speed or turn sharply (or can’t help doing so), those forces can grow powerful enough to cause a non-collision rollover. Any collision with a pothole, curb, embankment, road barrier, or other vehicle dramatically increases such disruptive forces, making rollover even more likely.
Given the combination of momentum and speed, an automobile might roll over two or more times before stopping. This increases the risk of severe injury or death to a driver involved in a rollover motor vehicle crash, anyone else in the car, other vehicles’ occupants and any pedestrians.
How Common are Rollover Crashes?
Rollovers account for about 2-3% of all car crashes. But according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), rollover incidents caused 29% of all vehicle occupant deaths in 2022.
What are the Highest Rollover Risk Vehicles?
Pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs have higher centers of gravity than sedans. In terms of risk probability, this makes them the “worst rollover vehicles,” i.e., the most likely to experience a rollover if they encounter the conditions for one. (Semi-trailer trucks have an even higher center of gravity but have more evenly distributed bulk.)
IIHS analysis backs this up, noting that rollovers caused 39% of all vehicle occupant deaths in pickup-truck crashes and 37% in SUV crashes.
Yet there’s no such thing as a rollover-proof car. Even with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) predicting a 6% year-on-year decline in rollover deaths for the first half of 2024, all drivers should treat them as a serious hazard.
How Can You Stay Safe in a Vehicle Rollover?
Granted, it’s almost impossible to know how you’ll respond in a situation as shocking as a rollover. But you must remain as calm as possible, make sure your seatbelt is buckled, and brace for impact by grabbing anything that can function as a handhold.
Reducing the Risk of Rollover Accidents
Smart motorist habits should be your first line of defense against the highest rollover vehicle risks.
- Buckle up no matter how long the trip will be. (Vehicle occupants with buckled seatbelts are 75% less likely to die in a rollover.)
- Be extra vigilant and alert on rural roads, at night, during inclement weather, or on highways you know are poorly maintained.
- Stick to speed limits, and travel more slowly in bad weather.
- Steer as gently as possible.
- Keep your tires well-maintained at proper pressure
If you drive a pickup, SUV, van, or large truck, careful steering and gentle braking are especiallycritical more important. Braking gently (earlier than you would in a smaller car) is similarly critical.
Vehicles to Minimize Rollover Risk
If you’re in the market for a new car, strongly consider models known for their safety.
The NHTSA’s list of model-year 2025 autos with 5-star safety ratings is a good start. Granted, some of the entries are on the pricier side. But sedans like the Toyota Corolla and Camry Hybrid, as well as the Kia K4 compact, also made the list. Meanwhile, SUV aficionados should check out Car and Driver’s Safest SUVs list.
Physical, Emotional, and Legal Recovery Tips
A driver involved in a rollover motor vehicle crash who’s lucky enough to survive is still highly susceptible to severe injuries.
NHTSA’s comprehensive study of vehicle rollover accidents identifies head and chest injuries as major areas of concern. The former occur most frequently in rollovers with one flip, while the latter are a greater risk in rollovers with two or more turns.
Spinal cord injuries are also a massive risk: Partial or complete paralysis of one, some, or all limbs isn’t out of the question, and avoiding this fate still means walking problems, loss of bowel control, and other issues are possible. Finally, broken bones are hardly out of the question.
Addressing Emotional Impact
Treating your physical injuries is most immediately important after a vehicle rollover, but do not forget the emotional whiplash.
Consider getting the perspectives of fellow survivors to help with your grief. Check websites like the Trauma Survivors Network to find a support group for car accident victims. Also, a therapist, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional can help (and may also know support groups).
Insurance and Legal Necessities
File an insurance claim for the accident as soon as possible. Many states, including California, will give you 10 days to file, though that time frame shrinks to 24 hours in California if there’s been an injury or death.
Also, the importance of legal aid can’t possibly be overstated. Get in touch with a personal injury attorney well-versed in car accident procedures (and vehicle rollovers in particular) just before or just after you contact your insurance company.
This is especially true if another driver was at fault, or if there’s any way a claims adjuster could consider you at fault. Even if you weren’t speeding or driving irresponsibly, you don’t want to be on the wrong end of an insurer trying to minimize claims liability.
Proactivity is critical both before a vehicle rollover accident (to minimize its risk) and after it’s happened.
Get in touch with the expert personal injury lawyers at the May Firm today if you’ve recently suffered the devastating physical or mental trauma of a rollover crash. We’ll help you deal with insurance companies and assist you in pursuing any damages to which you’re entitled.
