No driver ever wants to be in an accident. Although most car or SUV accidents are minor fender benders, rollover accidents can be extremely dangerous. When it comes to reserving your rental, there are a few things you will want to consider, especially if you are looking to reserve an SUV rental or large van rental. Taller vehicles are more susceptible to rollovers. Here are some tips to help you stay safe.
What Causes a Rollover Accident?
There are several things that drivers do that can put their SUV rental at greater risk for a rollover:
- Excess Speed — Excess speed is especially dangerous for rollover accidents if you are taking a corner too fast. Driving around a sharp corner with too much speed can cause a vehicle to roll, as the momentum is too great to control.
- Overcorrecting Your Vehicle — If you drop your wheels off the side of the road or begin to drift into another lane, correct your path gradually with your foot off the accelerator. If you speed up or jerk the wheel quickly, it can cause your wheels to grab the road and potentially initiate a roll.
- A Collision — Hitting a curb, guard rail, median, or even a patch of uneven ground at high speed can cause a rollover. It is almost always better to hit an animal than to swerve and endanger you and your passengers. If you're tired, take a break.
Why Are SUVs at Greater Risk?
If you take all the precautions necessary, SUV rentals are extremely safe and pose no greater risk of a rollover. With that being said, SUVs have a higher center of gravity and carry more weight in the top of the vehicle. The lower to the ground a vehicle is, the more difficult it is for that vehicle to roll. With SUVs, they are taller and tend to have more weight at a significant distance from the ground, making them less stable in high winds and at excessive speeds.
How Can I Protect Myself?
Protecting yourself in an SUV rental is really quite simple. First, slow down and follow the rules of the road. An SUV travelling at a normal speed has no greater risk of a rollover than any other vehicle. Avoid overloading the top of the vehicle — if your SUV has a roof rack, don't put your heaviest items there. SUVs don't drive like smaller vehicles: go slower around corners, and realize your vehicle may take a fraction of a second longer to brake. Finally, always wear your seat belt. People sometimes neglect seatbelts in larger vehicles because they hold a false sense of security. Independent car rental companies are more than happy to ease your mind and answer your questions.
SUV rentals are extremely safe, especially if you follow the rules of the road. The key to preventing rollovers is simple: slow down, drive defensively, and buckle up.
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