Below is an outline of the primary reasons for vehicle rollover to occur:
Adverse weather conditions
The most obvious weather condition associated with vehicle rollover is high winds. The probability of a vehicle rolling over in high winds is increased in situations where there is a high centre of gravity.
Avoidance
This type of incident is where the driver attempts to avoid a hazard in their path, and turn too abruptly, resulting in a possible over turn situation.
Brakes
For a driver to have maximum control over a vehicle, it is very important the braking system be in correct working order.
Excess speed
A recent study has indicated that excessive speeds increase the likelihood of vehicle rollovers.
Driver error
There are a number of factors that can be attributed to driver error or insufficient training. Misjudging the magnitude of a corner can result in the vehicle entering a corner too fast. Lack of attention can also contribute to vehicle rollover.
Cornering
A large proportion of vehicle rollovers occur whilst cornering. Due to the higher centre of gravity, and low Rollover Threshold, entering a corner at excessive speeds encourages the vehicle to lean and thus rollover.
Load
The majority of vehicle rollovers occur due to factors associated with the load. This can be because the load is inadequately secured or loaded incorrectly
Suspension settings
It is extremely important to have the appropriate suspension settings aligned to different situations to avoid the likelihood of rollover.
Road design
Road design can also contribute significantly to vehicle rollover. Roundabouts, adverse cambers, slip roads, dual carriageway contra-flow lane changes and double bends can all contribute to rollover.
Tyres
A number of cases of vehicle rollover have been attributed to underinflated tyres. Cornering with underinflated tyres results in the vehicle leaning more than if the tyres were correctly inflated
Jack-knifing
The primary reason for Jack-knifing to occur is equipment failure, wheels locking due to braking and poor grip from adverse driving conditions. Depending on the speed the vehicle is travelling, jack-knifing can result in vehicle rollover.
Over steering
Over steering can occur due to a variety of reasons. Entering a corner at excessive speeds, or a sudden awareness of danger, are points previously mentioned that can result in over steer
