Car Accident Information Center

One of the most popular forms of group transportation for colleges, church groups, senior centers, and community groups is the 15-passenger van. Since it’s not sold and registered as a commercial vehicle, no commercial driver’s license is necessary to drive one, which makes it easy to recruit any licensed driver for group outings. Many organizations use them as a cost-effective form of transportation. However, it’s been known for some time that these vans have serious safety defects. In 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) first warned the public about the dangers posed by 15-passenger vans.

Vans loaded with 10 or more occupants have a rollover rate nearly three times the rate of vans carrying fewer than five occupants. As the combined weight of the passengers increases, the van's center of gravity rises and shifts to the rear. This makes it more likely to rollover and more difficult to control in an emergency situation. NHTSA research also found that any load placed on the roof of a15-passenger van increases the likelihood of a rollover accident.

Federal Ban in Schools
These vans are considered so dangerous, federal law prohibits their use by schools to transport children in grades K-12. No such law prevents colleges or members of community groups, YMCAs, daycare centers, senior centers, or other groups from using them. Fifteen passenger vans are frequently used as airport shuttles and for church groups and business groups.

Van Rollovers Defects
According to government statistics, 15-passenger van accidents resulting in fatalities more than 80% of the time in single-vehicle accidents where the van rolled over. It has been found that van manufacturers knew the vans had defective designs and were unreasonably dangerous because of its instability and tendency to roll over.
Some of the common handling characteristics include the fact that 15-passenger vans are difficult to control when fully loaded because they are susceptible to over-steering in emergency maneuvers, which can make them too unstable to control. And once a van rolls over, it is not crashworthy often killing passengers in what would otherwise have been easily survivable crashes.

Passenger Van Legal ExpertPassenger Van Legal Expert
A person injured in a 10-passenger, 12-passenger, or 15-passenger van accident or rollover could be eligible to recover financial compensation for their injuries. Relatives of a person killed in a 15-passenger van rollover, may be able to file a wrongful death claim. Consulting a legal expert who has experience in van rollovers can protect your rights by advising you fully of all of your options to recover financial compensation for injuries or death as well as inform you of all the available medical options.




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