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New Rollover Accident Device to Alert Drivers

Could the deadly Greyhound bus-SUV accident that killed six people in Fresno earlier this year have been avoided if the SUV had come with some kind of lighting system that would have made it clearly visible in the dark to the Greyhound bus?  California car accident lawyers think it’s quite possible, but an ex-Los Angeles Fire Department employee, is convinced it would.

Eric Carpenter is a veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department.  He has experience as a first responder, and has been involved in hundreds of rescue efforts across California.  He has developed a rollover accident device that would be installed in the undercarriage of a car or SUV.  The system would go into effect during a rollover, switching on the lights and making it visible in the dark.

In July, three people were killed in an accident in Fresno likely caused by the failure of a bus driver to notice an overturned SUV.  The SUV was allegedly being driven by a drunk driver when it flipped over on Highway 99 in Fresno.  It was pitch dark, and just a few seconds later, a Greyhound bus came barreling down the highway and struck the SUV.  Three people died at the scene of the crash, while three others died later at the hospital.  According to a taxi driver who just barely managed to see the overturned SUV before he avoided it, there were clearly no lights on the SUV, and nothing at all to signify to motorists and other drivers that there was an overturned vehicle on the highway.

Carpenter believes that this crash could have been avoided if there had been some kind of rollover accident device that would have kicked in as soon as the rollover occurred.  He has invented what he calls the Emergency Rollover Vehicle Awareness Lights.  The system features four LED lights that have to be installed in the undercarriage of your car or SUV.  The lights are connected to a sensor.  How it works is by triggering the activation of the lights as soon as the vehicle is in a rollover position.  That means that as soon as the vehicle is at about a 45° angle, these lights are activated automatically.  There is no need for the driver to activate the lights.  The system takes care of activation of the lights, thereby ensuring that other motorists on the road can see the overturned car clearly.

Carpenter has moved to file a patent, but the process of patenting the system could take years.  His aim is to have this device installed in every car, and have it become as popular as seatbelts and airbags.

Rollover accidents are some of the most devastating crashes.  These are some of the least common crashes, and account for just 3% of all motor vehicle accidents every year.  However, they account for a substantial number of fatalities.  Rollover crashes account for about 30% of all motor vehicle fatalities every year.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of vehicle rollovers. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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