Government Reinstates Rollover Warnings for 15-Passenger Vans

06/03/2009 - Law Firm Blog - Link to This Entry

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is again urging all 15-passenger van users to take appropriate precautions to guard against the possibility of a tragic rollover crash.

Enjoying time together and traveling can make for a wonderful summer. 15-passenger vans can be more widespread on the roads during the summer months through community organizations, sport teams, summer camps, daycare, religious groups as well as commuter/airport shuttles, and this makes it imperative to understand and decrease the risk of rollover crashes in these vehicles.

According to NHTSA, the risk of a rollover is far greater when 10 or more people ride in a 15-passenger van. They are manufactured top heavy, raising the vehicle’s center of gravity and causing it to shift rearward. These types of vans have less rollover resistance and more difficulty controlling an emergency situation. With any additional passengers, not to mention equipment or heavy luggage onboard, these vehicles are unstable during sudden turns and prone to rollover and devastating crashes.

With approximately 500,000 15-passenger vans on the highways to date, they are road hazards.

Manufacturers do have the capability to retrofit these vans, adding dual wheels to the rear to increase the vans’ stability and handling of emergency situations. The cost is nominal, only a few hundred dollars per vehicle.

The government hasn’t mandated the retrofitting of the vehicles, yet each year, we hear the warnings and another recall. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports that these vans overturn more than half the time they are involved in single-vehicle crashes, with 81% of all fatalities occurring in just single vehicle rollovers.

Despite federal guidelines, the government enforcements have been ineffective. These safety standards should be mandated with a nationwide manufacturer regulation, and until that happens, awareness is the key. In the face of the mounting death toll because these vehicles are still on the road, owners and drivers of these vans must take necessary precautions and contact the manufacturers for any recalls and information on the retrofits available.

My firm has represented victims of 15-passenger vans and understands the urgency of consumer education and holding manufacturers accountable. The fight against the manufacturers of the 15-passenger vans continues to be an uphill battle and until the retrofits are mandated, we will continue to fight for justice for these victims.

To learn further information on safety inspections and crash test and rollover ratings, visit www.safercar.gov.

Please share your thoughts with me by contacting me at  561-842-2820, or emailing me at edricci@edriccilaw.com.