Touch of bad luck on Saturday!!!!!!

[blazerbrad]

Originally Posted by 4RunnerAdam

What I was thinking, was if you were in a small passenger car, you would not have rolled. Maybe just slid off the road and got stuck.

I'm guessing you slid on the ice, and then went off the road, the truck got grip, and it rolled. The high center of gravity may have caused the truck to roll, where a small car with a lower COG probably wouldnt have rolled.

Don't get me wrong, I drive an SUV myself and firmly beleive I am safer in it.

I do automotive testing for a living, including quite a few dynamic handling tests, so I just have to chime in.

What is said above is quite possible, though it's really hard to say for sure because of all of the variables involved. Obviously the X is bigger and has a higher CG and is more prone to rollover, and with the larger momentum will continue to roll longer once it starts.

Most "cars" are much less likely to roll but all bets are off when you get into a "tripped" situation (sliding sideways and hit a curb, for example).

Most cars generally have better handling characteristics and would likely of not spun out quite as easy (large mass, high CG = more likely to loose control)...but again not saying a car would of definitely not loss control in the same situation.

For safey, the one comment I do have to address is about being more likely to get ejected from a smaller vehicle. Okay, but only if you don't have your seatbelt on which makes it all a moot point....sorry to offend anyone, but anybody who does not wear their seatbelt is just stupid. We do crash demonstrations all of the time of belted vs. unbelted occupants in the car and you go from basically zero injuries for someone with a seatbelt on to serious injuries or death for somebody without a seatbelt on in the exact same situation. I'm not talking about 100 mph multiple roll-overs, I'm talking about even rather minor accidents.