Eli5: how is it so easy for cars to flip? Do certain types of cars flip easier than others?

Question

Eli5: how is it so easy for cars to flip? Do certain types of cars flip easier than others?

In: Physics

Answer 1

It’s not that easy, but physics can’t be stopped when the car wants to go sideways for some reason but the tires are still gripping the road. That means everything *except* the wheels keeps going sideways and the car flips over.

Taller and narrower vehicles are more likely to roll over in an accident than lower and wider ones. In the early days of the SUV craze in the late 90s and early 2000s there was a lot of hand-wringing about how easily those tall-but-not-wide beasts rolled in accidents.

It’s a lot easier to flip an Escalade than it is to flip a Corvette.