Nissan Versa Accident - Flip over upside-down

[Sherry]

Hi, everyone!

I got into car accident on my new Nissan Versa. Everything is fine, nobody hurt.

This is the situation:I started left turn from point A from stop (light was red and just got green). I turned to the left by red curve, but looks like make it a little more, than enough. In the point B my car hit the curb (road median divider, a little island before intersection). Then my car flyed up, flip over and finished at point C after little sliding on car top.

Is it ok? Or Versa has some kind of problem with stability?My speed was may be 50 kmh, I just don't had enough space to speed up more.Why this little curb made me fly up and flip over?

[Nolalove06]

how fast were you going??? that might be a factor, from what i've read, this car is classified as a "mini suv" correct me if im wrong.

[XterraVersa]

Is it ok? Or Versa has some kind of problem with stability? Why this little curb made me fly up and flip over?

Hit anything with enough speed and it can flip. The Versa is light, and like any light car, small ramps can make them flip. It is not a flaw in the car, but a fact of physics working.

The Versa flipped because the driver screwed up and hit the ramp at enough speed to flip.

[Althalus]

Hit anything with enough speed and it can flip. The Versa is light, and like any light car, small ramps can make them flip. It is not a flaw in the car, but a fact of physics working.

The Versa flipped because the driver screwed up and hit the ramp at enough speed to flip.

Edit: So as not to seem like spam to make this my hundreth post, I agree with Xterra.

Was it raining or something?

[Eikon]

the Versa flipped over because of common physics.. many cars would have done the very same thing.

The issue is that you were travelling too fast around the corner. The center of gravity of the car was tilted and pushed to the passenger (outside of the turn) side of the car. So you already had the vehicle shifted to that side. Then to make matters much worse you propelled the driver side up into the air. That combination very easily caused enough force for the vehicle to flip over.

The fact that you are not injured speaks positively of the Versa.

[Ever Victorious]

The rollover ratings for the Versa are only a little more than for a sedan-type car (due to its height compared to most cars), but still significantly lower than an SUV.

I agree... physics + hitting the right ramp at the wrong time = upside down Versa.

[cireecnop1]

No pictures?

[Sherry]

Yeah, guys... You are all right... But...There are two main contradictions...1) I hit the curb almost in parrallel direction, and my flight was finished in the parallel direction also, but on other side of curb and upside-down2) Flip was to the left, over driver side, not passenger side

So... is it ok?

[Ever Victorious]

Without knowing how tall the island is, or without adequate pictures, this is all speculation... but as has been mentioned before:

The rollover chance of a Versa is a little higher than a sedan, but lower than an SUV.

[sixdgrees]

2) Flip was to the left, over driver side, not passenger side

So... is it ok?

Apparently I should have paid more attention back in Physics class in HS. The pull should have been on the right side so I can't wrap my head around how you flipped it counterclockwise (to the left). Were you out of the turn and going straight when you hit the curb? Or were you still feeling the pull of the turn?

[Sherry]

2Ever Victorious:Island of standard height, may be 10-15 cm, you can find such island almost on any big intersection. Island has traffic light on one end and warning sign on other end. Overall length about 20-25 meters.

2sixdgrees:I almost finished my turn, so pull was present.But I wasn't in the maximum peak, because I hit the curb almost in parallel direction, may be at angle 10-15 degrees, not more.

[SPFDRum]

From the pics- and having been to a whole bunch of accidents:As you rounded the corner, making the left turn, you went wide A- momentum ouside of corner, passenger sideNoticing you where continuing past 90* to make the corner, you counter steered right, shifting the inertia from passenger side to drivers side-quicklyat the same time you hit the curb B, effectively transfering the momentum from low, at the wheels, to high, above the center of gravity. As this happpened, there was enough stored energy to cause the car to tip over.All this energy comes from F = ma. So either the car is to top heavy Mass (unlikely), or you where going to fast Acceleration (very likely).

[SPFDRum]

I almost finished my turn, so pull was present.But I wasn't in the maximum peak, because I hit the curb almost in parallel direction, may be at angle 10-15 degrees, not more.

That is the worst way to hit- if you would have hit the curb at a steeper angle, the energy would have bled off by skidding the front or back wheels, which ever didn't hit first, to the outside of the arc, the direction the momentum was going. Hitting square, there was no or very little of this.

[marleyfan]

Don't mean to be harsh but....if you flipped your car don't blame the car, blame your driving. Accept responsibility.

[msb0b]

I concur with SPFDRum.

Additionally, when the weight is loaded over the left wheels, and the wheels hit the median, the wheels could dig in and become the pivot for the rollover.

If Sherry was able to walk away from this accident, then Versa did a great job in protecting the occupants.

[Eikon]

Don't mean to be harsh but....if you flipped your car don't blame the car, blame your driving. Accept responsibility.

No need for that marleyfan...

Blame is not what this thread is about. Clearly the driver is at fault for hitting a curb. She is the first to admit it.

What is being discusses is: How did the Versa flip? Could there be abnormal or poor design of the vehilce/suspension/or other factors of the Versa that cause it to flip? What were the physics in play?

Let's focus on that rather than insulting anyone... Thanks

[Link3]

Additionally, when the weight is loaded over the left wheels, and the wheels hit the median, the wheels could dig in and become the pivot for the rollover.

<< Then my car flyed up, flip over and finished at point C after little sliding on car top. >>

I can think of two plausible scenarios. The more likely one is (as previously put forth) that the left side wheels dug into the curb causing the car to simultaneously become airborn and start to flip over with the left side being the fulcrum plane. However, depending on the sequence of the fast moving events, I could also see where the car could have become airborn first at B, possibly dug in on the left side upon impact coming back down, and then flipped over before sliding along on its roof.

In either case, the NHTSA rates the Versa at what I consider a pretty reasonable 14% chance of a Roll Over in their tests.

[xu_chen]

Sherry,

I'm sorry to hear about your accident. Are you okay?How is your Versa? How well did the roof hold up? Would you have any pictures?

[marleyfan]

No need for that marleyfan...

Blame is not what this thread is about. Clearly the driver is at fault for hitting a curb. She is the first to admit it.

What is being discusses is: How did the Versa flip? Could there be abnormal or poor design of the vehilce/suspension/or other factors of the Versa that cause it to flip? What were the physics in play?

Let's focus on that rather than insulting anyone... Thanks

It wasn't meant as an insult. The fact is that any explanation we offer about why it flipped is pure speculation based upon a relatively poor description of exactly what happened. We don't know the exact speed, angle of wheels, throttle position after initial impact or any other factors. I may have read more into it but it seems to me that by posing the question the implication is that since the car flipped there MUST be an inherent flaw in the design of the car. Sometimes cars flip. Examining heresay evidence of one flip over accident will not provide any indication if there is a flaw in design. And it just seems to me that we are becoming a society that likes to look elsewhere for blame. But I may have misunderstood the intent of the question. Still....a better question would be have there been a statistically high number rollovers with this vehicle and are there commonalities in the types of accidents. Sorry if I offended anyone.

[skoobahead]

After careful analysis and and running your info past "myth busters" the absolute has been discovered:

If you don't run over curbs at 50 KLM your Versa will keep all 4 wheels on the pavement.

GEEESH stability problems?????

[motoguy128]

I think you were accelrating hard, the front end was understeering (starting ot slide) and you were going wide, you lifted and the back end rapidly lost traction. You overcorrected, and the car came back ot the left, hit the crub and since it cannot slide over the curb... it can either bounce off, or it will flip over.

You normally expect a car to slide to the outside of the turn, but as you scrub off speed while sliding, the car can spin out to the inside of the turn.

This is my theory. I'm glad the car did it's job and you weren't injured.

[cireecnop1]

Just curious, Did any airbags/curtains inflate Sherry? whether it be the front from the curb impact or the sides from the roll over? althought I realize that you might not have been going fast enough to warrant the inflation of the front airbags, and the fact that some (maybe all) vehicles side impact curtains or airbags won't inflate in a roll over.

Im just curious.

[Sherry]

2cireecnop12 or 3 airbags were inflated. I don't remeber which one, but left side curtain definitely... Front driver airbag wasn't inflated, as I remeber...

[cireecnop1]

Good to hear, thanks

[chano129]

Well iam glad you get out on hurt,but I totally agree, you hit the curve too fast (50km/h is about 30mph) and it hit the island, it causes the flip, and again the sharper the curve the worst it gets,because :

1 When going around a corner or a curve the car would be unbalance2when the car hit the island it even push it more to an unstable state.3 common physics f=ma

Now people the Versa has a five star rating in USA.But the TIIda is rated in japan as on of the safest cars in a roll over by the japan government.(And renault the safest small cars in the world)Hey any car company could chat about there cars safety, but nissan actually prove it in japan by actual letting people drive in the tiida and have a roll over experience.. SO STOP WORRING.

yes i need proof of this but i try to get it.

[chano129]

ok here it goesplease read carefully, well all who wanted to fell what it is like to roll over in a versa is a like bit late.just kidding. http://www.nissan-global.com/E....html

[Ever Victorious]

Actually, Chano, the Versa gets only 4 stars in rollover. The 5-star rating was for side impact.

[marleyfan]

Actually, Chano, the Versa gets only 4 stars in rollover. The 5-star rating was for side impact.

I don't know...why don't we just ask. Sherry....when you were flipped upside down how many stars did you see?

[cireecnop1]

[proxim2020]

I would think she would've have seen at least 4 stars. She walked away with no injuries.