SUV Rollover Information

"Driving tests [ as performed by the NHTSC - added ] simply don't reflect the way rollovers happen in the real world." This makes me wonder why they bother; what are they testing for, if not to determine what happens in real world driving?

Bill Funk Change "g" to "a"

Recently, returning from a trip to Knoxville, TN returning to NY, I was driving on RT 81 around Roanoke VA. Traffic was fairly light (by NY standards). We were in my Wife's 1999 BMW 528I - speed around 70 - around

9:00 PM - I pulled over to let a pickup pass me. As he passed I put on my left directional and started to ease into the left lane ( another car in the left lane was about 5 or 6 car lengths back). Just as I was about to cross the lane divider I saw another light out of the corner of my eye. The pickup was towing a very low - long flatbed trailer. I jerked the wheel to the right and the BMW swerved back into the right lane, but I over compensated and was headed for the shoulder. I swung the wheel over to the left and popped back into the middle of the right lane - no fuss - no muss. I was feeling very proud of myself when it suddenly occurred to me - What if I had been driving my 2003 Explorer?? It might have been a very different story. That thought replaced my smugness with a cold sweat.

Of course I could rationalize by saying that the Explorer riding higher and having much better/ bigger sideview mirrors would have allowed me to see what was coming and avoid the problem in the first place. But it did make me think about all the careful drivers who have had negative experiences with "fish hook" turns with high CG vehicles. I don't believe that we can arbitrarily say they were being careless, or were inexperienced - as the saying goes " Shit Happens "

Sy Cohen

Well, being cold, callous (and Republican), I'll weigh in on this. You screwed up, big time. The BMW was good enough to cover for your screw-up; lucky you. It's your responsibility to see that the lane you want into is clear; you didn't.

The Explorer may well not have been as forgiving. The lesson to learn here is to understand that you screwed up. Quite frequently, in life, screwups aren't as easily or as gracefully survived. This was not a case of "shit happens."

Bill Funk Change "g" to "a"

Gotta agree with Bill on this one. Sy, it was your poor driving habits that brought this shitty situation upon yourself. So if the other car didn't have a trailer, when you switched lanes you'd have been what? 12 - 15 feet behind his rear bumper? That's great. If he had to brake quickly you'd have been kissing is bumper anyway. But I guess you did have to get in there quick 'cause there was only 5-6 car lengths between him and the car following him. But I don't really blame you personally for your poor driving habits because everyone that drives regularly in the metropolitan areas of the eastern US drives exactly the same as you.

I just don't get why everyone is in such a friggen rush all the time. I like to drive fast (on back roads for fun) but not in traffic and not running up someone elses bumper...

-Fred W