Based on visual observation of the site of the accident, the following summation illustrates how it looked to the layman's eye. The Palmer vehicle traveled from the southern most end of South Live Oak Parkway in a northern direction, approximately 400 feet before losing control of the 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and flipping it into a tree another 450 feet* down the road. The speed limit is 25 MPH and there was a speed hump at the begining location of the accident. The Tahoe ran off the road on the right side, clipping a storm drain, swerving then next to the left, off the shoulder before the back end of the vehicle spun hard to the left causing the vehicle to turn sideways just before rolling and throwing the passenger, Harper Williams out of the vehicle.
* at 60 MPH a vehicle can travel 88 feet per second, at 45 MPH a vehicle roughly travels 70 feet per second, at 30 MPH a vehicle travels at 44 feet per second. Stopping distance for a full sized SUV would be approximately 43 feet from 30 MPH, 120 feet from 50 MPH and 172 feet at 60 MPH.
ROLLOVER INFORMATION
The rollover-resistance rating is the estimate of a vehicle's
risk of rolling over if a person has a single-vehicle crash. Rollovers
generally occur when the vehicle runs off the road and is tipped by a
curb, ditch or soft soil. The rating predicts the "static stability
factor," which is a measure of a vehicle's center of gravity and
track width, to determine how top-heavy the vehicle is. The more top-heavy,
the more likely it is to roll over.
Of the 55 SUV models tested, 24 had rollover ratings of one or two stars.
With a one-star rating, you have a rollover risk of greater than 40% in
a single-vehicle crash. With a two-star rating, the risk is between 30%
and 40%; three stars, between 20% and 30%; four stars, between 10% and
20%; and five stars, less than 10%.
Two words: buckle up
More than 10,000 people die each year in rollover accidents, according
to the NHTSA. More than 60% of SUV occupants killed in 1999 died in crashes
in which their vehicles rolled over. For car occupants, that number was
considerably less, at 23%.
Drivers themselves contributed to the problem. NHTSA Administrator Sue
Bailey says that 80% of the people killed in single-vehicle rollovers
were not wearing their seatbelts. Occupants wearing seatbelts are 75%
less likely to be killed in a rollover crash than occupants who are not
wearing seatbelts. "Your best chance of surviving a rollover is by
buckling up," Bailey says.
The Chevrolet Tahoe 2WD tested at 2 Stars.
It has a 30-40% chance of a rollover according to NHTSA
SPEAK OUT IN THE FORUM
