If a tanker begins to roll over, what should the driver do?

WHEN ROLLOVER IS BEGINNING — the driver has fractions of a second and very few options, but the decisions in those moments dramatically affect survival odds. STAY IN THE VEHICLE: Modern CMV cabs are designed with rollover protection — the cab structure protects the occupant; the floor and roof maintain structural integrity through most rollovers; ejection from a rolling vehicle results in being crushed by the vehicle in most cases — ejection fatality rate is extremely high; SEATBELT — a properly worn seatbelt keeps the driver in the protected area of the cab; without a seatbelt, the driver is thrown around inside the cab during rollover, causing severe head and body injuries; RELEASE THE BRAKES (if not already in the rollover): Locked wheels during incipient rollover can make it worse by preventing the tires from generating any lateral stabilizing force; if the vehicle is beginning to tip but hasn't yet rolled, briefly releasing brake pressure may allow the tires to regain enough lateral traction to recover; this is a split-second judgment call; PRE-ROLLOVER PREVENTION: The real answer to tanker rollover is to never reach this point — drive well below advisory speeds in curves, increase following distances, avoid evasive swerving at highway speeds (often causes more deaths than the avoided obstacle), and know your vehicle's stability characteristics.