SUV Roof Crushes Kill Motorists
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In about 35 percent of auto accidents, death occurs where there is a rollover. In a SUV the death rate jumps to 59 percent.
The key to surviving the crash, if you are not ejected, is the strength of the vehicle's roof.
Right now the federal government is considering increasing roof strength, something that hasn't been done in passengers cars since 1974.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has issued a report, Roll Over, that concludes that roof strength "definitely influences injury risk" and says the federal government has greatly underestimated the number of deaths from an SUV roof crush. It calls for even stronger standards to save more lives.
The Institute says if the strongest enforced roof standards had been in place in 2006, about 212 of the 668 deaths in SUV rollovers might have been prevented. National Highway Safety Administration estimates the numbers of deaths at 13 to 44.
If roof strength was as strong as those the institute tested, it concludes that "injury risk in rollover crashes could be reduced 39 to 57 percent.
The Institute's study is the latest in a body of evidence that a vehicle's roof strength protects occupants and shows to a greater extent than ever before just how many lives could be saved in rollovers.
Since SUV roof standards have not increased since 1994, while there are more drivers and reckless drivers on our roads than ever before, it's long overdue to help those behind the wheel of an incresing number of popular SUVs to stay safe.