H2 rollovers; oddly absent

[Scarsman]

Funny thing. I did youtube searches for HUMMER roll, roll over, flip, flipping, etc, and only came up with one video of an H2 actually rolling over offroad. And it was a total dumbass who was going down a dirt track and hit a sidehill at high speed.

Lots of rollover videos for about every other kind of rig though. I think Jeeps top the charts. Something to be said for longer and wider!

[HummerMann]

I had the priviledge of touring the H2 plant in Mishawaka in 2006. In those days if you were an H2 owner they really gave you the royal treatment. One of the engineers emphasized the wide stance and how heavy items were placed as low as possible in the frame, but not as to hinder ground clearance. They even took pains to mount the engine and transmission 2 inches lower than originally planned for a lower center of gravity. AM General did extensive testing to make sure the H2 was stable and the ultimate offroad vehicle according to my tour guide. It was a great tour I will never forget and showed me how much engineering went into the H2.

[Scarsman]

That would have been really cool.

[Intercooled]

Thats tour sounds really cool. I would live to see a book about the H2 and all the engineering that went into it. I have the one hummer book. Another book now they are out of business with all the facts, figures, models, production numbers, design criteria etc. would be awesome.

[Ru_Nuts]

Though the H2 is engineered to prevent rollovers they aren't bullet proof.
My dearest friend's son was traveling about 65 mph on a large overpass in Houston around 2:30 am last Saturday morning when his '06 H2 was struck in the left rear tire area by a drunk driver that was approaching from behind at a high rate of speed. It was basically a classic take out maneuver.
The H2 began to shift the rear end to the right as he attempted to correct it by turning into the spin his H2 went airborn & flipped/rolled onto the drivers side skidding another 100 yards into the guardrail. He was looking out the sun roof off the edge of the overpass at a 50 ft drop.
He survived but now has a possible life changing injury from a torn rotor cuff. (He's a college student on baseball scholarship as a pitcher.)
No air bags deployed which has me wondering what it takes or if they failed in some way.
Does anyone know what triggers them or when the air bags should deploy?

[Scarsman]

Though the H2 is engineered to prevent rollovers they aren't bullet proof.
My dearest friend's son was traveling about 65 mph on a large overpass in Houston around 2:30 am last Saturday morning when his '06 H2 was struck in the left rear tire area by a drunk driver that was approaching from behind at a high rate of speed. It was basically a classic take out maneuver.
The H2 began to shift the rear end to the right as he attempted to correct it by turning into the spin his H2 went airborn & flipped/rolled onto the drivers side skidding another 100 yards into the guardrail. He was looking out the sun roof off the edge of the overpass at a 50 ft drop.
He survived but now has a possible life changing injury from a torn rotor cuff. (He's a college student on baseball scholarship as a pitcher.)
No air bags deployed which has me wondering what it takes or if they failed in some way.
Does anyone know what triggers them or when the air bags should deploy?

I am sorry to hear about your friend. Sounds like it turned out much better than it could have though!

I have no illusions that an H2 will not roll over. I am only refering to offroading incidents. As far as airbags, I have responded to some pretty good collisions where they did not deploy. I think they require impact, or g-forces, in specific directions to activate specific bags. For example, a straight head on collision wont likely deploy side airbags. Also, based on my experience investgatiing collisions, it seems to take a pretty significant impact to deploy them. Rolling onto it's side probably did not have enough impact force. It looks like it rolled to its side and then slid. Rolling onto its side will not generate the same force that a 3-5000 lb vehicle would have in say a T-bone collision.

[VegasGuy]

Sorry to hear about your friend's son. I hope he has a full recovery. I also hope the other guy has good insurance!

[Badace]

Douchebag Drunk Drivers. As a paramedic, I am fng sick of it. We had 5 Hispanio's in a single rig (Suburban) loose control and flip tossing all five out. 4 were flown. 3 will probably die. Could have taken out another car, a family or something like that. Not that hurting yourself isnt bad and sad, hurting someone else is worse. Dont drink and drive.

[HummerMann]

"Though the H2 is engineered to prevent rollovers they aren't bullet proof.
My dearest friend's son was traveling about 65 mph on a large overpass in Houston around 2:30 am last Saturday morning when his '06 H2 was struck in the left rear tire area by a drunk driver that was approaching from behind at a high rate of speed. It was basically a classic take out maneuver"

Actually the Hummer H2 has one of the best rollover ratings of any SUV you can buy and lowest fatality per vehicle rating of any vehicle PERIOD, except perhaps the Ford F350 dually. This July 23, 2008 article from CNN's old warrior section rates it as one of the least likely to rollover of any SUV you can buy. Speed and alcohol are a dangerous combination in any vehicle. Most of us have had friends mamed and killed in vehicles where alcohol was involved. The CNN article highlighted in this Hummer blog has a more detailed description of the H2s rollover factor.
http://hummersonline.blogspot.com/2008/07/cnn-warrior-one-hummer-h1.html

[Ru_Nuts]

I am sorry to hear about your friend. Sounds like it turned out much better than it could have though!

If it has to happen you want to be in the best, we're convinced anything less than the Hummer would have been fatal.

I have no illusions that an H2 will not roll over. I am only referring to offroading incidents. As far as airbags, I have responded to some pretty good collisions where they did not deploy. I think they require impact, or g-forces, in specific directions to activate specific bags. For example, a straight head on collision wont likely deploy side airbags. Also, based on my experience investigating collisions, it seems to take a pretty significant impact to deploy them. Rolling onto it's side probably did not have enough impact force. It looks like it rolled to its side and then slid. Rolling onto its side will not generate the same force that a 3-5000 lb vehicle would have in say a T-bone collision.

I know you weren't, sorry if I've thread jacked it.. your thread looked like a good place to ask questions.
I think we are, like most of the public, ignorant about the when & why's of air bag deployment ... especially in roll overs.
My "GM" expert (many years as a tech for GM and very knowledgeable) tells me "Roll-overs are a trump card, as the forces at work can interfere with the triggering of accelerometers."
As I read some where else, "If you walk away, the vehicle did it's job."
Thanks to all for the good wishes and help, this "kid" is tough and comes from good stock. He'll make it in the long run.

[twr]

Hi glad he is ok, but his torn rotor cuff. I screwed up my rotor cuff and it took a bunch of shots to fix it and almost 4 years before it was 85%. Mine will never be 100% but 85% is better than 10% how it was 4 years ago. Good luck to him.

[johndjmix1]

Sorry to hear about the injury.

But, I have to say...just like this case, any H2 rollover I see the driver compartment remains extremely intact and not crushed. Its a strong vehicle! If you are bored one day take a look at the steel behind the dash, beefy stuff.

I considered adding a cage inside my H2, mostly for mishaps that can happen in the snow on the road, but from what ive seen the H2 roof pillars are so strong, adding a roll cage really isnt necessary.....not that it wouldnt make it stronger, but compared to a pickup (Which I would NEVER own one without imeadiatly putting at least a roll bar in the cab) the H2 holds up amazing.

--John