SUVs and Rollovers
 

Here's an article in this morning's Washington Post about the danger of
SUV rollover accidents (especially involving teens.) There's a
gruesome picture of a Ford Explorer with its passenger compartment
completely mashed in:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6760241/

Now, here's my dumb question: Wouldn't a single CJ-size roll bar
inside the passenger compartment of most SUVs dramatically reduce the
likelihood of a fatality or horrible injury from a rollover crash?
Looking at the Ford Explorer photo, it's easy to picture the passenger
compartment staying intact if it had been supported by a single bar of
thick steel between the front and second row of seats.

I've been lucky enough never to roll, but I've either directly seen or
observed the aftermath of several CJ, YJ, and TJ rollovers, and in
every case, the driver was fine, except for some minor bruising and
scratches. Admittedly this was at low off-road speeds, but it was
also over much nastier terrain than you find on the road (big, sharp
boulders, 30+ degree inclines, etc.)

I see lots of folks shelling out thousands of dollars for gizmos like
side curtain airbags, dynamic stability control, ABS, etc., in their
expensive luxury SUVs. Wouldn't $600 worth of steel and welding work
be a much better investment? I can't believe that the SUV
manufacturers with the sterling safety records, such as Volvo and BMW,
haven't put a simple roll bar in their passenger compartments.

Ok, sure, an interior roll bar would be a bit unsightly in your $40,000
luxury ego-feeding chariot. So wrap the damn thing in leather and wood
paneling and call it an "elegant interior appointment."

Re: SUVs and Rollovers
 

A J**P is NOT a suvee.

Snow...

<lambeth65@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:1104244641.282667.23470@f14g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
> Here's an article in this morning's Washington Post about the danger of
> SUV rollover accidents (especially involving teens.) There's a
> gruesome picture of a Ford Explorer with its passenger compartment
> completely mashed in:
>
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6760241/
>
> Now, here's my dumb question: Wouldn't a single CJ-size roll bar
> inside the passenger compartment of most SUVs dramatically reduce the
> likelihood of a fatality or horrible injury from a rollover crash?
> Looking at the Ford Explorer photo, it's easy to picture the passenger
> compartment staying intact if it had been supported by a single bar of
> thick steel between the front and second row of seats.
>
> I've been lucky enough never to roll, but I've either directly seen or
> observed the aftermath of several CJ, YJ, and TJ rollovers, and in
> every case, the driver was fine, except for some minor bruising and
> scratches. Admittedly this was at low off-road speeds, but it was
> also over much nastier terrain than you find on the road (big, sharp
> boulders, 30+ degree inclines, etc.)
>
> I see lots of folks shelling out thousands of dollars for gizmos like
> side curtain airbags, dynamic stability control, ABS, etc., in their
> expensive luxury SUVs. Wouldn't $600 worth of steel and welding work
> be a much better investment? I can't believe that the SUV
> manufacturers with the sterling safety records, such as Volvo and BMW,
> haven't put a simple roll bar in their passenger compartments.
>
> Ok, sure, an interior roll bar would be a bit unsightly in your $40,000
> luxury ego-feeding chariot. So wrap the damn thing in leather and wood
> paneling and call it an "elegant interior appointment."
>

Re: SUVs and Rollovers
 

A J**P is NOT a suvee.

Snow...

<lambeth65@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:1104244641.282667.23470@f14g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
> Here's an article in this morning's Washington Post about the danger of
> SUV rollover accidents (especially involving teens.) There's a
> gruesome picture of a Ford Explorer with its passenger compartment
> completely mashed in:
>
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6760241/
>
> Now, here's my dumb question: Wouldn't a single CJ-size roll bar
> inside the passenger compartment of most SUVs dramatically reduce the
> likelihood of a fatality or horrible injury from a rollover crash?
> Looking at the Ford Explorer photo, it's easy to picture the passenger
> compartment staying intact if it had been supported by a single bar of
> thick steel between the front and second row of seats.
>
> I've been lucky enough never to roll, but I've either directly seen or
> observed the aftermath of several CJ, YJ, and TJ rollovers, and in
> every case, the driver was fine, except for some minor bruising and
> scratches. Admittedly this was at low off-road speeds, but it was
> also over much nastier terrain than you find on the road (big, sharp
> boulders, 30+ degree inclines, etc.)
>
> I see lots of folks shelling out thousands of dollars for gizmos like
> side curtain airbags, dynamic stability control, ABS, etc., in their
> expensive luxury SUVs. Wouldn't $600 worth of steel and welding work
> be a much better investment? I can't believe that the SUV
> manufacturers with the sterling safety records, such as Volvo and BMW,
> haven't put a simple roll bar in their passenger compartments.
>
> Ok, sure, an interior roll bar would be a bit unsightly in your $40,000
> luxury ego-feeding chariot. So wrap the damn thing in leather and wood
> paneling and call it an "elegant interior appointment."
>

Re: SUVs and Rollovers
 

A J**P is NOT a suvee.

Snow...

<lambeth65@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:1104244641.282667.23470@f14g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
> Here's an article in this morning's Washington Post about the danger of
> SUV rollover accidents (especially involving teens.) There's a
> gruesome picture of a Ford Explorer with its passenger compartment
> completely mashed in:
>
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6760241/
>
> Now, here's my dumb question: Wouldn't a single CJ-size roll bar
> inside the passenger compartment of most SUVs dramatically reduce the
> likelihood of a fatality or horrible injury from a rollover crash?
> Looking at the Ford Explorer photo, it's easy to picture the passenger
> compartment staying intact if it had been supported by a single bar of
> thick steel between the front and second row of seats.
>
> I've been lucky enough never to roll, but I've either directly seen or
> observed the aftermath of several CJ, YJ, and TJ rollovers, and in
> every case, the driver was fine, except for some minor bruising and
> scratches. Admittedly this was at low off-road speeds, but it was
> also over much nastier terrain than you find on the road (big, sharp
> boulders, 30+ degree inclines, etc.)
>
> I see lots of folks shelling out thousands of dollars for gizmos like
> side curtain airbags, dynamic stability control, ABS, etc., in their
> expensive luxury SUVs. Wouldn't $600 worth of steel and welding work
> be a much better investment? I can't believe that the SUV
> manufacturers with the sterling safety records, such as Volvo and BMW,
> haven't put a simple roll bar in their passenger compartments.
>
> Ok, sure, an interior roll bar would be a bit unsightly in your $40,000
> luxury ego-feeding chariot. So wrap the damn thing in leather and wood
> paneling and call it an "elegant interior appointment."
>

Re: SUVs and Rollovers
 

>I've been lucky enough never to roll, but I've either directly seen or
>observed the aftermath of several CJ, YJ, and TJ rollovers, and in
>every case, the driver was fine, except for some minor bruising and
>scratches. Admittedly this was at low off-road speeds, but it was
>also over much nastier terrain than you find on the road (big, sharp
>boulders, 30+ degree inclines, etc.)

http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg
http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg

I wouldn't rely on any stock Jeep CJ, YJ, or TJ roll bars to protect
me in a highspeed rollover...

Re: SUVs and Rollovers
 

>I've been lucky enough never to roll, but I've either directly seen or
>observed the aftermath of several CJ, YJ, and TJ rollovers, and in
>every case, the driver was fine, except for some minor bruising and
>scratches. Admittedly this was at low off-road speeds, but it was
>also over much nastier terrain than you find on the road (big, sharp
>boulders, 30+ degree inclines, etc.)

http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg
http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg

I wouldn't rely on any stock Jeep CJ, YJ, or TJ roll bars to protect
me in a highspeed rollover...

Re: SUVs and Rollovers
 

>I've been lucky enough never to roll, but I've either directly seen or
>observed the aftermath of several CJ, YJ, and TJ rollovers, and in
>every case, the driver was fine, except for some minor bruising and
>scratches. Admittedly this was at low off-road speeds, but it was
>also over much nastier terrain than you find on the road (big, sharp
>boulders, 30+ degree inclines, etc.)

http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg
http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg

I wouldn't rely on any stock Jeep CJ, YJ, or TJ roll bars to protect
me in a highspeed rollover...

Re: SUVs and Rollovers
 

On Tue, 28 Dec 2004 15:27:19 GMT, Cliff <noaddress@none.com> wrote:

>>I've been lucky enough never to roll, but I've either directly seen or
>>observed the aftermath of several CJ, YJ, and TJ rollovers, and in
>>every case, the driver was fine, except for some minor bruising and
>>scratches. Admittedly this was at low off-road speeds, but it was
>>also over much nastier terrain than you find on the road (big, sharp
>>boulders, 30+ degree inclines, etc.)
>
>http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg
>http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg

er opps second link should have been:

http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale14.jpg

>I wouldn't rely on any stock Jeep CJ, YJ, or TJ roll bars to protect
>me in a highspeed rollover...

Re: SUVs and Rollovers
 

On Tue, 28 Dec 2004 15:27:19 GMT, Cliff <noaddress@none.com> wrote:

>>I've been lucky enough never to roll, but I've either directly seen or
>>observed the aftermath of several CJ, YJ, and TJ rollovers, and in
>>every case, the driver was fine, except for some minor bruising and
>>scratches. Admittedly this was at low off-road speeds, but it was
>>also over much nastier terrain than you find on the road (big, sharp
>>boulders, 30+ degree inclines, etc.)
>
>http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg
>http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg

er opps second link should have been:

http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale14.jpg

>I wouldn't rely on any stock Jeep CJ, YJ, or TJ roll bars to protect
>me in a highspeed rollover...

Re: SUVs and Rollovers
 

On Tue, 28 Dec 2004 15:27:19 GMT, Cliff <noaddress@none.com> wrote:

>>I've been lucky enough never to roll, but I've either directly seen or
>>observed the aftermath of several CJ, YJ, and TJ rollovers, and in
>>every case, the driver was fine, except for some minor bruising and
>>scratches. Admittedly this was at low off-road speeds, but it was
>>also over much nastier terrain than you find on the road (big, sharp
>>boulders, 30+ degree inclines, etc.)
>
>http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg
>http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale12.jpg

er opps second link should have been:

http://www.wcelectric.com/images/jan04sale14.jpg

>I wouldn't rely on any stock Jeep CJ, YJ, or TJ roll bars to protect
>me in a highspeed rollover...