The objective of this study by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) was to examine the characteristics of passenger vehicles and their drivers involved in fatal rollover crashes. Using data from the 1991 through 2000 NCSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the Federal Highway Administration, and the US Census Bureau trends were examined and rates of fatal rollovers per registered vehicle and vehicle miles travelled (VMT) were calculated and compared. The changing composition in the fleet of vehicles on the nation's highways has resulted in a growing number of SUVs and other light trucks relative to passenger cars. Findings show that light trucks in general, and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) in particular, are a rapidly increasing component of the total number of fatal rollover crashes. Most of the characteristics of vehicle and drivers involved have remained fairly constant over time both for passenger cars and light trucks. While occupant fatalities due to passenger car rollovers have been declining, the greater propensity toward rollovers in some classes of light trucks has maintained the aggregate level of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in crashes about 32,000 annually. (Author/publisher)
Abstract