Law Firm Articles

Van Rollovers

A 15-passenger van is considered one of the most dangerous vehicles on the road, because it is three times more likely to roll over in single vehicle crashes when there are 10 or more occupants inside the van. Many insurers say they will not cover any 15-pasenger vans and several universities will no longer permit athletes to be transported in the vans. The vans are commonly used by schools, day care centers, hotels, churches and scout troops. There are currently about 500,000, 15-passenger vans on the road. The problem, engineers say, is the design, weight and balance of the van. On most models, the car manufacturers have used the same wheel base, however with an extended back end. When the van is fully loaded, there is a seat with four passengers behind the rear axle. This weight makes the back end heavy, so that when there's a sudden swerve, the rear end swings out. The second, critical issue is that the van is top heavy. It has what engineers call a high center of gravity. The more people on board, the more top heavy it becomes. Prior NHTSA research has shown that 15-passenger vans have a rollover risk that increases dramatically as the number of occupants increases from fewer than five to more than ten. In fact, 15-passenger vans (with 10 or more occupants) had a rollover rate in single vehicle crashes that is nearly three times the rate of those that were lightly loaded (with fewer than five occupants). Safety experts say that to drive a 15-passenger van with greater safety, it must be loaded with no more than 10 passengers. Those passengers should be seated toward the front, and seat belts are essential. Ford builds the most 15-passenger vans, followed by Dodge. GM has just five percent of the market, and an even smaller fraction of the fatal rollovers. The GM van is a different design. The wheel base is longer, which lowers the chance that the van will skid sideways, according to engineers. But when loaded, the GM is still top heavy, much like the Ford and Dodge vans. In a new research report related to improper tire maintenance on 15-passenger vans, a National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) study found that 74 percent of all 15-passenger vans had tires that were not correctly inflated. By contrast, 39 percent of passenger cars were found with significant inflation problems. NHTSA research has consistently shown that improperly inflated tires can drastically change the handling of such vehicles, significantly increasing the prospect of a rollover crash. As a result of its study, on May 26, 2005, the NHTSA reissued its consumer advisory for users of 15-passenger vans for the third time in the past four years. To reduce the risks associated with 15-passenger vans, NHTSA's safety advisory recommends that drivers require all occupants to wear safety belts at all times. Additionally, it is suggested that drivers of 15-passenger are trained and experienced, tires are checked at least once a week (implementing the manufacturer's recommended pressure levels), and no loads are placed on the roof of the vehicle. Nearly 80 percent of those who died in 15-passenger van rollovers nationwide between 1990 and 2003 were not buckled up. Other statistics and facts concerning 15-passenger vans:

• There are an estimated 500,000 15 passenger vans on U.S. roads.
• 15-passenger vans have a rollover ratio of 70 percent when filled with more than 15 passengers.
• The federal government has banned the purchase of 15-passenger vans for use in schools, excluding colleges.
• Since 1990 over 400 people have died due to single-vehicle rollover accidents in 15-passenger vans.

Many law suits are filed each year against manufacturers of 15-passenger vans due to accidents that resulted in injuries or deaths. In these rollovers, often the occupants are seriously injured due to roof crush, roof collapse, roof pillar failure or collapse (causing the roof to crush into the passengers), tire failures, seatback failures and defects, seatbelt injuries, lack of headrests, lack of glazing of windows and fuel-fed fires, gas tank fires and fuel tank explosions. The chief hazard occurs when taking emergency action after steering in one direction and then being forced to rapidly correct in the opposite direction, such as a typical avoidance maneuver with a road hazard, another vehicle, a deer, a dog or even a child in the roadway.