Naperville Man Injured in Rollover Accident
According to news reports, a man was injured in a rollover accident in Naperville on Tuesday. As another driver tried to turn from Route 59 onto I-88, she drove into the path of the victim’s vehicle. The victim then tried to swerve away, and hit a curb; his car was also hit by the car that had been attempting to turn, after which the victim’s car rolled over. Following the accident, according to the report, the victim complained of back pain and was taken to a local hospital.
Rollover accidents are comparatively rare, but are extremely dangerous. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, in 2002 only 3% of the crashes involving passenger cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs included a rollover; however, 33% of the fatalities resulting from those crashes occurred in the rollover incidents. More than 10,000 people died in rollover crashes in 2002.
While SUVs and vans are more likely to roll over than other passenger cars, passengers and drivers can reduce the likelihood of a rollover in any vehicle by making sure that their tires are properly inflated, and by consciously balancing out the load in the vehicle. It is particularly important to balance any additional load placed on a roof rack, which would change the vehicle’s center of gravity.
On a website called Safecar.gov, the NHTSA provides additional safety tips, information about the latest technologies for rollover prevention, and a rating system for rollover safety. If you would like to find out how your car rates in terms of rollover safety, simply go to the site and enter the class, year, make, and model of your vehicle.
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