The Traffic Accident Reconstruction Origin -ARnews-

Rollover Speed - Toyota Corolla

Bob Thomas (bthomas@cccis.com)
Tue, 18 Aug 1998 20:24:21 -0400 (EDT)

Being in the damage appraisal business for many years, I've seen the aftermath of some horrendous wrecks.
I had had a close call last year, and wondered ever since just how close I came to flipping over.
The accident was settled last year; this is just to satisfy my curiosity. Thanks for sharing your expertise.

Question: At what speed would a 1991 Toyota Corolla moving sideways flip over?

Facts:
Corolla travelling in the #1 lane at 75 mph, approached the right turn on the eastbound 210 freeway at
Huntington Drive (Pasadena CA). A Lexus sedan in the #2 lane did not veer right with the road.
The front bumper of the Lexus struck the right side of the Corolla at the rear door, dogleg and wheel.
The Corolla started to swerve right. I attempted to correct the spin, but over-compensated, and spun
to the left 90 degrees. As the car swerved it dipped so sharply, I thought it would flip. I
over-compensated again, and spun 90 degrees to the right. During all of this I was braking.
No other objects or vehicles were struck.

Other info:
Surface: grooved cement, dry and clear.
Driver weight: 145lbs
Cargo about 50lbs
About 1/2 tank of gas (5 gallons)

Damages to the Corolla were slight.
I can email JPEGs if anyone would like to see them.
Bob Thomas
bthomas@cccis.com

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