Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

As youngsters head back to school, many will be sharing the ride on public transportation or a school bus. In many cases, students traveling to smaller schools, special events or sporting activities may climb into a 15-passenger van. The vehicle is a popular choice to relatively inexpensively and conveniently transport small groups. But it could be deadly.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the risk of a rollover crash is greatly increased when 10 or more people ride in a 15-passenger van. There are two main factors at play – vehicle design and driver reaction to the van’s handling as a result.

Fifteen-passenger vans are by design substantially longer and wider than a car, which makes it less maneuverable. According to the NHTSA, when there are 10 or more passengers in the van, because of the vehicle’s design, with a long passenger area past the rear wheel base, the center of gravity is shifted toward the rear, which lowers its resistance to rollover and makes the van harder to control in the the event of an emergency.

Because a 15-passenger van handles differently than other vehicles and is more inherently unstable by design, an inexperienced driver can often be overwhelmed when confronted with an unexpected mishap or unusual road condition. When faced with an emergency, an inexperienced driver may overcompensate, causing the van to slide sideways and roll over.

To help ensure safety, all passengers should wear their safety belts when traveling in a 15-passenger van. While there are seatbelt laws requiring their use, often in group travel situations these regulations may be overlooked. However, according to the NHTSA, 80 percent of people killed in rollover crashes in 15-passenger vans in the past decade were not wearing a seatbelt.

Additionally, organizations using a 15-passenger van should make sure their drivers have experience in driving the van on a regular basis. Providing safety training or a driving course for the van operator also is a good idea to help drivers familiarize themselves with the van and learn how to react in a roadway emergency.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at 12:23 pm and is filed under News, automobile accident, product liability, recalled products, rollover accident, toxic injury. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.