15-Passenger Van Warnings

15-Passenger Vans Safety Warning - June 2004

Federal regulators have issued a new safety warning for large vans which are commonly used for church groups, kid's camps, and traveling families. The warning comes after a fatal rollover van crash resulting in 3 fatalities and 9 injuries to the van occupants - all members of a church group.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has warned groups using 15-seat passenger vans about "the dangers of fully loading these things and then putting an inexperienced driver behind the wheel." Dr. Jeffrey Runge, administrator of the NHTSA, stated that these vans are trucks and "...should only be driven by people with experience driving trucks."

Rae Tyson, a spokesperson for the NHTSA stated, "Fifteen-passenger vans are not appropriate for transporting children." However, the agency has no authority to dictate the usage of a van after it leaves the dealer's lot.

Federal regulators, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, attribute higher fatalities to:

- Inadequate seatbelt usage of passenger van occupants
- A 15-seat van, with every seat filled, is five times as likely to roll over as a van containing just the driver
- Vans have a greater chance of rolling over on curvy roads or when their speed exceeds 50 miles per hour

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, from 1990-2002:

- 15-seat vans were involved in 1,576 fatal crashes
- These crashes resulted in 1,111 fatalities of the van occupants. That's almost 1 fatality per van crash.
- 349 of those accidents involved rollovers
- A mere14% of people killed in those accidents were wearing their seat belts. 76% of the occupants were not wearing seat belts.
- 15-seat van crashes kill about 100 people a year.

The large vans, like large SUVs, are not subject to the same regulations as those for cars. Some automakers are taking steps to improve the stability of these vans, but these auto makers account for a small percentage of the approximate a half-million 15-seat passenger vans currently on U.S. roads. In addition, older vans already on the road are not equipped with the safety mechanisms.

Accidents involving 15-seat passenger vans can result in serious injuries. If you have been injured while riding in a large van, you need a law firm with experience to represent your injury claim.

Many law suits are filed each year against manufacturers of 15 passenger vans on account of accidents that resulted in injuries or deaths. Ford and General Motors are currently the only companies manufacturing 15 passenger vans. In 2002 DiamlerChrysler stopped generating 15 passenger vans. Some 15 passenger vans that are currently being used are the Ford Econoline E350, GMC Rally/Vandura G3500, Chevrolet Express 3500, Dodge Ram Van/Wagon B3500, and the GMC Savana G3500.

In January 2003 one child was killed and five others were seriously injured when a 15 passenger van was in an accident.
In September 2002 in the state of Maine 14 passengers were killed in an accident in a 15 passenger van.
In April 2001 the U. S. Department of Transportation issued a warning regarding the use of 15-passenger vans. The warning stated that 15-passenger had an increased risk of rollover under certain conditions. This warning reinforces that fact that drivers need to be cautious while operating these vehicles.

15-passenger Vans and Rollover Risk

Recently the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a cautionary warning to users of 15 passenger vans because of an increased rollover risk under certain conditions. These 15-passenger vans are used by churches, daycare and eldercare centers, schools, universities, and airport shuttle services -- yet they are extremely hazardous vehicles. Originally manufactured as cargo vans, automakers never redesigned these vehicles to safely transport people. The results of the recent safety administration analysis revealed that 15-passenger vans have a rollover risk that?s similar to other light trucks and vans when carrying a few passengers. However, the risk of rollover increases dramatically as the number of occupants increases from fewer than five to more than 10 passengers. The NHTSA study noted that even when carrying between one and four passengers, the 15-passenger vans were 17 percent more likely to be involved in a rollover accident than smaller vans or minivans.

The 15-passenger vans (with 10 or more occupants) had a rollover rate in single vehicle crashes that's nearly three times the rate of those that were lightly loaded. The analysis revealed that loading the 15-passenger van causes the center of gravity to shift rearward and upward, increasing the likelihood of rollover. The shift in the center of gravity also will increase the potential for loss of control in panic maneuvers. The NHTSA urged institutions using 15-passenger vans to require seat-belt use at all times since buckling up dramatically increases the chances of survival during a rollover crash. The federal agency noted that 80 percent of victims who died in 15-passenger van rollover accidents last year were not wearing seat belts. NHTSA officials said there are about 1.4 million 15-passenger vans registered in the United States.

The agency identified a number of 15-passenger models:

- Ford Econoline E350
- Chevrolet Express 3500
- GMC Savana G3500
- GMC Rally / Vandura G3500
- Dodge Ram Van/Wagon B3500.