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Driver Behavior
The single most important thing is
this: everyone in the vehicle,
including the driver, should buckle
up. See Safety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-10. In fact, most
serious injuries and fatalities to
unbelted occupants can be reduced
or prevented by the use of safety
belts. In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a seat
belt. In addition, avoiding excessive
speed, sudden or abrupt turns, and
drunken or aggressive driving can
help make trips safer and avoid the
possibility of a crash, especially a
rollover crash. This section provides
many useful tips to help you drive
more safely.
Driving Environment
You can also help avoid a rollover
or other type of crash by being
prepared for driving in inclement
weather, at night, or during other
times where visibility or traction
may be limited, such as on curves,
slippery roads, or hilly terrain.
Unfamiliar surroundings can also
have hidden hazards.
To help you learn more about driving
in different conditions, this section
contains information about city,
freeway, and off-road driving, as well
as other hints for driving in various
weather conditions.
Vehicle Design
According to the U.S. Department
of Transportation, utility vehicles
have a significantly higher rollover
rate than other types of vehicles.
Utility vehicles do have higher
ground clearance and a narrower
track or shorter wheelbase than
passenger cars, to make them more
capable for off-road driving. Specific
design characteristics like these give
the driver a better view of the road,
but also give utility vehicles a higher
center of gravity than other types of
vehicles. This means that you should
not expect a utility vehicle to handle
the same way a vehicle with a lower
center of gravity, like a car, would in
similar situations.
But driver behavior factors are
far more often the cause of a
utility vehicle rollover than
are environmental or vehicle
factors. Safe driver behavior and
understanding the environment in
which you will be driving can help
avoid a rollover crash in any type of
vehicle, including utility vehicles.
4-2 Driving Your Vehicle