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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