The Effect of External Roll Over Protective Structures on Mining and Exploration Light Vehicles (Pickup's/Bakkies)

Within the exploration and resources sector some companies have required the fitment of Roll Over Protective Structures (ROPS). The issues with respect to: no ROPS, internal ROPS or external ROPS are discussed. The practical experience of designing, testing, fitting external ROPS in southern Africa are detailed as well as the investigation and analysis of a number of rollover crashes of vehicles fitted with the external ROPS and injury outcomes are compared with USA rollover injury data.