Just after midnight one night this past spring, a white Infinity G37 skidded out of control on Unser Boulevard in Albuquerque. As it approached the Western Trail NW intersection, it veered out of the right lane, across the shoulder, and off the road. After sliding through the intersection, it flipped in midair and landed on the median. Two passengers in the car were ejected, and both of them were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, who was not ejected, survived and was taken to a hospital. News reports did not indicate the names of any of the occupants of the vehicles, but they did indicate that the Infinity might have been racing with another car, as it was traveling at a dangerously high speed when the driver lost control of the car. If you have been injured in a car accident where a vehicle overturned, contact a Santa Fe motor vehicle accident lawyer.
Everything is More Dangerous Upside Down
A rollover accident is one where a vehicle overturns onto its roof. While catastrophic accidents can happen from almost any angle, rollover accidents are especially deadly. Only three percent of car accidents significant enough to result in a police report involve vehicles overturning; despite this, rollover accidents account for almost a third of fatal car accidents. One of the reasons for this is that the car’s roof does not protect you in a collision the way the seating area does; in a seat, you are surrounded by airbags that will inflate to shield you from the worst of the impact. An even bigger contributing factor is that if the vehicle overturns, the risk of being ejected is high, and remaining inside the vehicle instead of being ejected improves your chances of survival.
How to Avoid Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents can happen if you lose control of your car after another car hits you, but many rollover accidents occur simply because the driver hit a curb or other obstacle at high speed, causing the car to flip over. In fact, a disproportionate number of rollover crashes are single-vehicle accidents. They happen when a driver veers out of his or her lane and hits a curb, tree, or median. Alcohol or drugs sometimes play a role, as does excessive speed. Factors other than reckless or impaired driving can increase your risk of a rollover collision, though. If your tires are properly inflated and balanced, your risk of rollover is lower, all other factors being equal. Likewise, excessive weight in your car can upset its balance and increase the risk of a rollover; transporting heavy items that your car was not meant to carry can be dangerous, even if you are not tying a boat to the top of your car with a bungee cord.
Contact Slate Stern About Swimming Pool Accident Lawsuits
Slate Stern is a personal injury lawyer who represents plaintiffs injured in accidents arising from car accidents. Contact Slate Stern in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or call (505)814-1517 to discuss your case.
Sources
APD Investigates Fatal Crash Involving Single Vehicle – ABQ RAW
Photo by Robin Battison on Unsplash