These statistics support the proposition that rollover crashes are the most dangerous collision type for all classes of light vehicles whether measured by fatalities or by incapacitating injuries per involved occupant. The statistics are even more alarming when one considers that rollover accidents are the least frequent crash mode per registered vehicle. Over 10,000 people are fatally injured each year in rollover crashes, however the US Auto Industry denies the relationship between roof crush and occupant injuries. If a roof crushes substantially in an accident, occupants may suffer disabling head or neck injuries. Most vehicles do not have enough headroom to allow for more that three to four inches of crush without significantly increasing the risk of serious injury.
Rollovers are the most common cause of roof crush.
Over 10,000 people are fatally injured each year in rollover crashes. The causal relationship between rollovers and harm to occupants from roof crush has been recognized as early as 1932. Nevertheless, the auto industry denies the relationship between roof crush and occupant injuries. This argument does not take into account that rollovers are among the most benign accidents because the vehicle decelerates over a long distance. Arguing that rollovers are random events that cannot be duplicated, manufacturers rarely conduct rollover tests to guide their roof design or construction.