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15-Passenger Van Rollover and Accident Risks Renewed

A few weeks after a couple of deadly 15-passenger van rollover and accidents in New York and Georgia, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has decided to indulge in an annual ritual.  The agency has once again issued a warning about safety risks from these 15-passenger vans, but it still does not believe they need to be banned altogether.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week decided to reiterate its advisory, cautioning Americans about the safety risks from using these vans. The warning comes just as millions of American children return to school, and as motorists around the country begin to prepare for a busy holiday travel season.  The 15-passenger vans include the Chevrolet Express, the GMC Savanna, and the Dodge Ram. These vans come with a design that creates a higher center of gravity, which makes them more susceptible to rollovers in certain situations.

Last month, two fatal 15-passenger van rollover and accidents in New York and Georgia turned the focus on the poor design of these vehicles that increased the risk of rollovers.  In the New York accident, the 15-passenger van was carrying a group of church members to a religious event.  One of the tires blew out, and the van flipped over several times.  There were 14 passengers in the van, and they were all ejected from the vehicle.  Six of them died, and eight sustained serious injuries.

Just weeks later, a similar accident in Georgia killed four people.  In that accident, another church group was traveling on a highway when a similar tire blew out, causing the van over several times.  The pastor of the church and three other passengers in the van were killed.  There were a total of 19 passengers in the van, which was meant to carry just 15 people, and the remaining passengers were seriously injured.

The risks of 15-passenger vans have been well-documented by California car accident attorneys.  These vans come with an inherently unstable design that makes them more susceptible to rollovers.  In 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued its first warning about the rollover risks from these vans.  The advisory stated that older models of the vans come with a higher center of gravity that would place them at high risk of rollovers.  However, the agency stopped short of a complete ban on these vehicles in spite of the evidence pointing to unstable design, and a higher rollover risk.

Rollovers are some of the most deadly and catastrophic accidents.  Most of these end with partial or complete ejections, multiple fatalities and serious injuries.  Every year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reiterates its advisory, asking that passengers in these vans always wear their seatbelts.  Last year, the agency neglected to issue an advisory, bogged down as it was with the Toyota scandal.  It’s about time the NTHSA takes a strict position on the safety of these vans, instead of merely issuing watered-down advisories every year.  These vans are used mainly by schools and churches, which means that the human impact and toll from these accidents is immense.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of 15-passenger van rollovers. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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