Vehicle Rollover

One aspect of cornering behavior that can be terrifying for a driver is vehicle rollover. Rollover is defined as the vehicle rotating 90' or more about its longitudinal axis (Gillespie, 1994) and can be caused by many factors. It can occur on a level surface if the tires can generate sufficient cornering force that the vehicle rolls before it slips. Any cross slope of the road also will excite (or inhibit) rollover. The most frequent cause of rollover is a skidding vehicle coming into contact with a surface irregularity such as a curb, dirt shoulder, or similar situation. The process is influenced by a large number of complex phenomena, and a detailed analysis goes beyond the scope of an introductory text. Nevertheless, some simple models exist that can aid one's understanding of vehicle rollover.