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Virginia Van Roll Over Lawyer Bob Keefer: Loaded Vans are easy to roll over

 Van accidents cause a great deal of death and injury on American roadways. Fifteen-passenger vans typically seat a driver and 14 passengers. They are widely used by community groups, churches, colleges and car pools.

 Research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined that the risk of a rollover crash is substantially increased with 10 or more passengers in a 15-passenger van. The reason is that passenger weight raises the vehicle’s center of gravity and causes it to shift rearward. Therefore, the van is less resistant to rollover and is more difficult to control in an emergency situation. Roof top loads also raise the center of gravity and increase the chance of a rollover.

A rollover crash is a complicated event. In studies of single-vehicle crashes, NHTSA determined that over 90 percent of rollovers occur after a driver has lost control and run off the road.

NHTSA identified three fact patterns which led to 15-passenger van rollover accidents.

1. The van goes off a road with an unimproved shoulder such as a rural road. The van will overturn when it strikes a ditch or embankment or crosses onto soft soil.

2. The driver is tired or speeding. A fatigued driver is more likely to fall asleep and lose control. Excessive speeds could cause the van to slide sideways, leave the roadway and leave the tires on soft soil.

3. The driver overcorrects the steering when a wheel dropping off the pavement.

80 percent of people killed in rollover crashes in 15-passenger vans were not wearing seatbelts.  Seat belt use is especially critical because many people die in rollover crashes when they are partially or completely thrown from the vehicle. The risk of death or serious injury can be greatly reduced in a rollover crash by the use of seat belts.

Since most rollover crashes involve single vehicles they are often preventable.
NHTSA offers the following tips for drivers to minimize the risk of a rollover crash and serious injury or death:

1.  Do not lose control.  Avoid driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  Avoid driving while tired.  Slow down for adverse road and weather conditions.

2.  Drive cautiously on rural or other roads that have unimproved shoulders. Be careful not to run off the road.   

3. If your wheels drop off the roadway, or pavement, gradually slow down and steer back onto the roadway when it is safe to do so.

4.  Maintain your tires. Keep tires are properly inflated with adequate tread. Bad tires cause your van to slide sideways on wet or slippery pavement. Improper inflation will cause handling problems and could cause catastrophic tire failures like blowouts.

5. When a 15-passenger van is not full ride in the seats in front of the rear axle.

6. Over 15 people should never be allowed to ride in a 15-passenger van.

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