15-Passenger Vans

When asked which vehicles are among the most dangerous on the road, few consumers would mention 15-passenger vans. In fact, 15-passenger vans, when loaded are among the most difficult vehicles to maneuver in hazardous conditions. Their poor design leads to rollovers causing serious injuries or death from roof crush or ejection.

2006 Chevrolet Express Van 15 Passenger Van

From daycares to hotel shuttles, you'll see these vans on the road everyday. Most will never consider the danger of stepping into one of them and the rollover and roof crush danger they pose.

Many schools and churches now opt to not use them because of their reputation for rollovers.

Full 15-passenger van puts weight behind the rear axle, giving the van more potential to swing out, leading to loss of control and rollover potential.

Ford, Dodge and GM all manufacture these vans. With no government rollover standard that applies to 15-passenger vans, the top heavy vehicles are prone to rollover at speeds as slow as 40 mph.

Injuries and death from cars and 15-passenger van rollovers occur every week in the United States. Safety experts state that the vans should never hold more than 10 passengers, who should be wear seat belts at all times. In order for 15-passenger vans to perform safely, their tires must never fail.

NHTSA 12-05
Thursday, May 26, 2005
(roof crush and rollover)

NHTSA Restates Rollover Warning For Users of 15-Passenger Vans

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced new research that reinforces its existing rollover concerns about 15-passenger vans. As a result, NHTSA reissued its consumer advisory for users of 15-passenger vans for the third time in the past four years.

In a new research report related to improper tire maintenance on 15-passenger vans, the NHTSA study found that 74 percent of all 15-passenger vans had significantly mis-inflated tires. By contrast, 39 percent of passenger cars were found with significant inflation problems. NHTSA research has consistently shown that improperly inflated tires can change handling characteristics, increasing the prospect of a rollover crash in 15-passenger vans.

"The vans are convenient, but drivers and passengers have to use extra caution. The rollover risks associated with 15-passenger vans can be minimized if users take some basic safety precautions", said Jeffrey Runge, M.D, NHTSA administrator. "Routinely checking the condition of the tires, including the tire pressure, should be at the top of the list".

To reduce the rollover risks associated with 15-passenger vans, NHTSA’s safety advisory recommends that drivers insist all occupants wear safety belts at all times; drivers of 15-passenger are trained and experienced; tires are checked at least once a week, using the manufacturer’s recommended pressure levels; and no loads are placed on the roof of the vehicle.

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 rollover rate of those that were lightly loaded (with fewer than five occupants).

Nearly 80 percent of those who died in 15-passenger van rollovers nationwide between 1990 and 2003 were not buckled up. Wearing safety belts dramatically increases the chances of survival during a rollover roof crush accident. In fatal, single-vehicle rollovers involving 15-passenger vans over the past decade, 91 percent of belted occupants survived.