Montana Highway Patrol’s Tips to Prevent Fatal Rollover Crashes

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - I spoke with Sergeant John Metcalfe, the Montana Highway Patrol’s Public Information Officer this week about the prevalence of fatal rollover crashes in western states, specifically in Montana.

Metcalfe described how the typical rollover crash occurs.

MHP Spokesman Addresses Rollover Crashes in Montana

“It's consistent with my experience and training that the Rocky Mountain states have a lot of rollover fatal crashes,” began Sergeant Metcalfe. “What's really unique about rollover crashes is that they are commonly a driver-induced error where either somebody hits the rumble strips or the passenger side of their car goes off the road and they yank the wheel, and it's called over-correcting, and that actually is what causes the vehicle to roll over.”

Metcalfe referenced his law enforcement training regarding rollover accidents.

How MHP Troopers Train to Prevent Rollover Crashes

“I remember when I was going through the police academy, what they taught us is called ‘shuffle steer’, where you just make movements on the bottom of the (steering) wheel,” he said. “It's all designed to prevent somebody from just yanking the wheel and over-correcting and causing you to roll. If you feel like your vehicle is going to go off the road, it's not good to just yank the steering wheel back onto the road, because again, that's what causes those tires to dig in and cause the vehicle to trip or overturn.”

Metcalfe described other causes of rollover crashes.

“There are other things where somebody is more likely to drift off the road, and then their reaction is going to be even more delayed,” he said. “You might be on your phone, and you start to drift off, and the next thing you know, you feel the rumble strips, and it's your first reaction to yank the wheel. Even people who are falling asleep can hit the rumble strips which can wake them up because their vehicle is half on the road. It's a very normal reaction to yank that wheel really, really hard, and that that all contributes to rollovers.”

READ MORE: Montana Ranked Second in the US for Fatal Crashes

Metcalfe Says Nothing is More Important Than Wearing a Seat Belt

Sergeant Metcalfe emphasized how vital it is in a rollover that every person in the vehicle is securely buckled in.

“Making sure you're driving at a speed that is appropriate for the conditions, not driving impaired, not driving distracted, not driving sleepy, and if you do feel yourself going off the road, try to resist that urge to just yank that steering wheel," he said. "Those are the big things, and of course, in all driving conditions you should be wearing a seat belt.”

Click here for details from the Montana Highway Patrol on fatal crashes.