Warnings About Passenger Van Rollovers Remain Relevant Year After Year

Large passenger vans have such a deadly reputation for rolling over that there are now laws in effect
restricting the use of the larger 15-passenger models. After many reports and warnings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the propensity of these vans to roll over when drivers need to take sudden evasive action, California passed a law restricting their use. California 15-Passenger Van Safety bill, AB 626 passed in 2003, which requires California State University to limit anyone who does not have a class B driver’s license from driving these vans.

Two years later in 2005, the NHTSA issued an updated warning about these vehicles, which was the fourth advisory issued in the previous five years. The warnings had the desired effect: the percentage of people killed in passenger van accidents that involved rollovers declined from 81 percent in 2000 to 52 percent in 2003. By 2006, that percentage had declined to 50 percent. Yet warnings about these vehicles remain. In 2008, the NHTSA urged people driving and riding in 15-passenger vans to do so with caution. A NHTSA press release advised, “For a safe trip buckle up, check the tire pressure and make sure an experienced driver is behind the wheel before heading out on the roads this summer.”

California passenger van rollover lawyer Samer Habbas would like to see tougher legislation passed regarding these vehicles. He and other Southern California passenger van rollover attorneys are very concerned that these vehicle’s high center of gravity when partially or fully loaded, poor performance on uneven driving surfaces, propensity to roll when making sharp turns and horrible safety records will result in even more people injured and killed. The dangers of these vans are well known. If you or someone you care for has been injured or killed while riding in a 12- or 15-passenger van, call 888.848.5084 today to schedule a free consultation with Anaheim passenger van rollover lawyer Samer Habbas.