Issue 7, 2004
More Passengers, Greater Dangers:
15-Passenger Van Update
A renewed government warning about 15-passenger vans will give no comfort to educational institutions hoping to use the vehicles to transport more than a handful of students.
Regulators Issue Third Warning
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says its most recent study of 15-passenger van accidents between 1990 and 2002 confirms earlier findings that rollover risks increase with the number of occupants. If more than half the seats are filled by passengers, the rollover rate is 2.2 times that of vans with seven or fewer passengers. If all the seats are filled, the chance of a rollover is five times greater than if the driver is the only one on board.
The agency issued similar warnings in 2001 and 2002.
The government’s earlier studies attributed the rollover propensity of 15-passenger vans to their high center of gravity, which increases and shifts rearward when they are loaded with passengers or cargo. Following the studies’ release, some safety advocates suggested that vans could be made safer by removing rear seats. Current research suggests otherwise, however, because van users frequently fill the space with gear and equipment, which weigh more than passengers and may be less stable in a crash.
The agency also announced the following:
· Seat belt use dramatically increases the chances of survival in a crash. About 92 percent of van occupants who were wearing seatbelts survived crashes. Nearly 80 percent of those who were fatally injured were not buckled up.
· A van traveling 50 mph or more is five times as likely to roll over as one traveling at slower speeds. The odds that a van traveling on a curved road will roll over are twice those for a van on a straight road.
The NHTSA released two other studies pertaining to 15-passenger vans at the same time. A study of the effects changes in tire inflation pressure have on rollover resistance and van handling prompted the agency to caution van users about worn and improperly inflated tires. The second study, which examined the effects different loads have on the vans’ rollover resistance, found that an electronic stability control device, factory installed in one of the test vans, may improve drivers’ handling under certain conditions. (The agency’s studies, a new hangtag, and related documents are on its website; see “Resources.”)
Educational Institutions Respond
The NHTSA said its earlier warnings appear to be working as the number of fatalities, which reached a peak of 158 in 1999, fell to 133 in 2002, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Since federal regulators issued their 2001 warning, many higher educational institutions have changed their policies on van use. Some institutions stopped using the vehicles, some limited the number of passengers, and some adopted more rigorous driver qualifications. (For more information on driver selection and other policy recommendations, see “15-Passenger Update,” UE Safety Dispatch, issue 1, 2003, listed under “Resources.”)
At the preschool through 12th-grade level, the federal government has prohibited the sale or lease of 15-passenger vans if they are “significantly” used to transport preprimary, primary, and secondary school students to or from school or related events. For a vehicle to be approved for transporting these students, it must meet the design and safety standards in the federal motor vehicle safety regulations.
Safety Steps to Take
The NHTSA said van users can significantly lower their risks of a rollover and injury by following these safety precautions:
· Require all occupants to use their seat belts or the appropriate child restraint.
· If possible, seat passengers and place any cargo forward of the rear axle and avoid placing any loads on the roof. These arrangements lower the vehicle’s center of gravity and reduce the chance of rollover.
· At least once a month check that the van’s tires are properly inflated and the tread is not worn down. Excessively worn or improperly inflated tires can lead to a loss-of-control situation and a rollover.
· Use caution on both interstates and rural roads to avoid running off the road. If the van’s wheels drift off the roadway, gradually slow down and steer back onto the road when safe to do so. Most 15-passenger van rollovers occur at high speeds as a result of a sudden steering maneuver such as an overcorrection.
· Ensure that drivers are well rested and alert. Always maintain a safe speed for weather and road conditions. The agency recommends that only trained and experienced drivers operate 15-passenger vans.
Institutions might also consider choosing alternatives to 15-passenger vans. However, comparable government studies on the risks of alternative vehicles are not available.
Whatever vehicles they select, institutions they should make certain that their transportation policy is comprehensive and scrupulously followed. A policy that includes safeguards covering driver selection, training, driver obligations, seat belt usage, motor vehicle registration checks, vehicle maintenance, and vehicle use is the most effective risk management tool in reducing injuries and losses.
Resources
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Documents include a consumer advisory, hangtag, research, and tests, go to the website at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/15PassVans/15PassCustomerAdvisory.htm
“Survey of State Laws on 12- and 15-Passenger Vans Used for Public School Transportation,” as of February 2004, National Association of State Directors of Public Transportation Services, http://www.nasdpts.org/documents/VansSurveyFeb04.pdf
“15-Passenger Van Update,” UE Safety Dispatch, Issue 1, 2003, http://www.ue.org/membersonly/GetDocument.asp?id=420. Available from the Members Only Library at http://www.ue.org.
“Fifteen-Passenger Vans: A Moving Issue,” UE Safety Dispatch, September 2001. http://www.ue.org/membersonly/GetDocument.asp?id=181.
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