TECHNIQUES FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF ROLLOVER ACCIDENTS INVOLVING SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, LIGHT TRUCKS AND MINIVANS. IN: OCCUPANT AND VEHICLE RESPONSES IN ROLLOVERS

Abstract

This chapter, from a comprehensive text on vehicle and occupant responses in rollovers, discusses the reconstruction of rollover accidents which occur as the result of rolling over on the road, shoulder or median of the roadway. The authors note that rollover accidents account for almost 50% of fatalities that occur in sport utility vehicles (SUVs), pickups, and minivans. The authors present techniques that can be used to reconstruct the actual rollover process and provide examples to illustrate common rollover trajectories; they also discuss parameters that affect the variations in these trajectories. For example, the spacing or distance traveled between touch downs can vary substantially. However, identification of these distances is necessary to estimate vehicle rollover speeds, number of rolls, and severity of each roll. The authors also discuss scene survey techniques to show how in combination with the vehicle inspection a rollover trajectory can be reconstructed. Reconstructions of a number of actual rollover accidents are provided to illustrate the techniques under discussion.