Determining SUV Crashworthiness: Roof Defects and Roof Crush
Crashworthiness is the ability of a vehicle to prevent injury and ensure the safety of occupants during a collision. In sports utility vehicles (SUVs), crashworthiness is measured by how well it can withstand the effects of impact during a rollover accident.
The potential risks of roof crush injury are higher for vehicles with the tendency to rollover, such as SUVS. In fact, according to studies, SUVs are three times more likely to rollover compared to other cars or automobiles.
In SUVs, roof crushes are the most common causes of injuries and fatalities during accidents. This is further aggravated by roof defects and vehicle design flaws.
Federal statistics also show that nearly 10,000 people across the country die in roof-crush related accidents each year. In 2004 alone, nearly 4,500 victims of SUV rollover accidents involving roof crush injury have died.
Studies show that more serious roof crush injury occurs when the roof is defective or when roof strength is insufficient to withstand the crush. As a result, the passenger has very little survival space and can be in danger of being ejected from the vehicle.
In determining the SUV’s crashworthiness, two factors must be considered:
- The safety of the occupants inside the vehicle during the accident
- the features of the vehicle which helped reduced passenger injuries
Federal Standard in SUV Roof Strength
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 126 was passed, adopting a standard roof strength test to measure the integrity of roof structure in motor vehicles. This applies to vehicles weighing 6,000 lbs or less.
But, SUVs are usually heavier and therefore exempted from the compulsory safety standards test. Thus, many consumer groups have urged the federal government to modify the standards to include SUV’s and other heavier vehicles to undergo the federal standard test.
Experts say however that even with federal standards, many vehicle roofs will crush during a rollover accident. Therefore a more stringent testing standard must be used to sufficiently protect people in accidents.
What to do
Safety experts say motorists can survive rollover accidents if only roof structures and the passenger compartment would be study enough and remain intact during the accident. To prevent roof crush and strengthen the structure, the windshield must be reinforced, which could also prevent a person from being ejected during an accident.
Three of the most common product defects include the following:
- Manufacturing defects – When the error or defect was made during the manufacturing process
Design defects
– when the vehicle is unsafe because of defects in its designFailure to warn
– When a manufacturer fails to warn or provide adequate warning to consumers about the dangerous aspect of the product
Under product liability, if you get injured in roof crush as a result of roof defect, you can hold the car manufacturer liable for your injuries. You can seek the assistance of a product liability lawyer to help you recover from your injuries.
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