ROLLOVER CRASHES FOR 15-PASSENGER VANS MORE LIKELY DURING SUMMER

  • Published
  • By NHTSA
USA --  New research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found June through August to be the deadliest time of year for 15-passenger van occupants in rollover crashes. Statistics show that 31 percent of fatal rollovers involving 15-passenger vans occur during the busy summer travel months.

In one of the worst motor vehicle accidents in Maine's history, 14 forestry workers were killed in a 15-passenger van rollover in the summer of 2002. And in the summer of 2004, the Montgomery Advertiser reported that Kidz First Camp would no longer travel in a 15-passenger van, after a rollover into a ditch caused nine children to be injured.

NHTSA Administrator Nicole R. Nason is urging all 15-passenger van users to take appropriate safety precautions when taking to the road during this busy travel season.

"The last thing we want is a summer outing to turn into a tragic memory," Nason said.

NHTSA data shows a significant increase in rollover risk when the van is loaded with 10 to 15 people. This increased risk occurs because the passenger weight raises the vehicle's center of gravity and causes it to shift rearward. As a result, the van has less resistance to rollover and handles differently from other commonly driven passenger vehicles, making it more difficult to control in an emergency situation.

In 2006, 50 percent of occupant fatalities took place in fully- loaded vans. Fifty-nine percent of those killed were unbelted.