Motor vehicle rollover and static stability: an exposure study.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined vehicle rollovers in terms of site-specific exposure and speeds of vehicles of varying stability.


METHODS
Fifty-one rollover sites in two states were visited at the same time of day and day of week as the rollover. A sample of vehicles moving in the same direction as the rollover were observed, and vehicle-specific data were obtained from identification numbers.


RESULTS
Low stability, exacerbated by the addition of passengers, increased the risk of rollover. Speed was not correlated with stability and is not a confounder.


CONCLUSIONS
Rollovers could be substantially reduced if motor vehicles were manufactured with a static stability of 1.2 or greater.
Robertson
L S
LS
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Conn., USA.
Maloney
A
A
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003237:Connecticut; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000592:standards*; D012306:Risk