The discussion of safety in rollover reminds me of an article I read shortly after the much publicised Ford Explorer rollovers. On of the major car magazines compiled a list death rate due to rollovers for almost every vehicle on the road and compared it with the government test for vehicle stability. They found that the MORE stable the vehicle the higher the death rate. The Corvette had the highest death rate due to rollover and double decker buses had the lowest(0). '
Their take-away from the exercise was that the driver was the most important element of the equation and that making a driver feel safe often led to more reckless driving that more than undid the safety improvements. Anti-lock brakes did little to reduce accidents because people with them drove faster and tail-gated more. I have read that one study showed that you are no more likely to die at 65mph without airbags as you are at 70mph with them. This is both due to the extra energy in the accident and the increased likleyhood of being in an accident.
Don't get me wrong, I believe in safety features and just ordered a new truck with every safety device available. I just don't feel that they are any substitute for driving a little slower, always sober and as alert as possible. I don't like the idea of getting pushed through the windshield of my motorhome by my refridgerator but the idea of a camping trailer coming through the cab is not appealing either.
