Hit from the side, on flat ground? Something less top-heavy would have probably kept the oily side down.

Probably not as the road was iced up apparently. It doesn't look that way from the pictures but unless I misunderstood her (always possible) that is what the driver told me.

Honda Element: Have driven in Japan. Thought it was an expremely versatile passenger car. Interesting spec., 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder. Name a car you can pick up four passengers arriving with the standard Samsonite suitcase, plus hand luggage. Excluding a Bentley, naturally. Never sold in UK; presumably too expensive. But hey, what else is new?

Er, my old MB 280TE, praps? Alot more comfortable too.

"It can only carry 675 pounds, including passengers. Even though the Element is a four-seater, it is easily over-loaded with four adult passengers"

That is 300Kg. The Merc can carry twice that.

Never imported to the UK because it would not sell, is my guess. 4 beefy outdoor blokes, their jumpers, socks, beer and beards would max out this thingamy. Maybe the driver was using a Mamya '67. They are heavy, after all.

I do think if the driver had been using something a little less "on tippy toe" - narrowish track, high CG - they might have remained upright and just spun a bit.

I do think if the driver had been using something a little less "on tippy toe" - narrowish track, high CG - they might have remained upright and just spun a bit.

As you have no idea how hard the car was hit, clearly you have no way of knowing that. As the car flipped three times, I'm guessing it was hit bloody hard.

COMPLETELY off-topic. Deleted

You talk of my not knowing, while you immediately suppose it was "hit bloody hard". It could just have easily slid on ice or even nudged off line while on ice (by another vehicle sliding into it on same ice) then rolled once it touched dry tarmac when out of line.

Regardless of how hard a car is hit, flipping is often about poor stability. SUV danger in accidents focuses on higher chances of end-overs and flips due to their poor stability.

How this photo is meant to make me feel "safer" in a Honda Element, I don't know. First thing I see when a car is upturned is "unstable". It has turned me off such a vehicle utterly.

However, I am all for Issigonis-style passive safety, i.e. make a car handle, brake, turn with stability and predictability, give it good visibility, then that is the best place to start for safety. It is also akin to the Libertarian mindset, if you ask me.

Make a car that is unstable, with poor visibility, tyres too wide for the weight, brakes too sensitive then load it with airbags, roll cages, crumple zones and a sense of impregnability and you have not only a recipe for disaster, but a Statist mindset to boot - disregard for consequece.

I grew up owning and driving American CJ type jeeps. They were a lot of fun and dangerous. Very high center of gravity, stiff poor road suspension, short wheelbase. But I was young.

The element has the same features. It can easily flip over where as a sedan wouldn’t. I think dumber sorts think that it is some small type of military up armored HUMVEE.

I stopped by a very wealthy friends house and his wife showed me her new ride. She had gone from a Mercedes to a Range Rover. She has two beautiful princess daughters. She showed me the leather interior, which was very nice, but all I could do was think of my years driving jeeps. The vehicle was only bought for looks.

Another thing, when in the states modern 4 wheel/all wheel drive really took off, I would be driving up to Bangor, Maine in the winter time. I’d be doing 55 mph, or less depending on the road and snow or ice. I’d see people fly by me, doing 70. Usually in twenty minutes or so, I’d see them buried way off the road.

Physics is physics, but not many people take any physics education that they know of.

Perry, is boondockphotography you? Were you in this vehicle? Anyone else we know?

If so, very glad to hear you're [all] safe.

Nope, not me, just a chum of mine.

Sorry guys, but I drive both a CJ and an Element, and there's no comparison. The CJ's a rock climber, and with 31 inch wheels, rollover hazard is understood, but I've driven the Element in snow, ice ( yesterday ) and dodged numerous deer, bicyclists etc with nary a body sway. That Element had to have been hit HARD to
roll over.

I think this explains it all: (Link)