With Spring underway, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to remind drivers that there are risks involved with driving a 15-passenger van. These vehicles have been involved in some very catastrophic traffic crashes, one reason being that with so many passengers able to ride in these vans, the number of injuries and deaths tend to be higher.
A few years back, CBS’s 60 Minutes II called the 15-passenger van one of the more dangerous vehicles on the road. This can be primarily attributed to the design of the vehicle. Because the back end has been extended so that up to four people can ride behind the van’s rear axle, this part of the vehicle can end up being very heavy, which can cause it to swing out should the vehicle suddenly swerve. Also, 15-passenger vans tend to have a high gravity center. The more people riding in it (even if there are no more than 15) the heavier it becomes, which increases its rollover risk. Tire blowouts can prove very dangerous on a 15-passsenger van.
Our Boston injury lawyers represent victims and families involved in Massachusetts 15-passenger van accidents. Even if driver negligence played a factor, you could have a valid auto products liability claim against the vehicle manufacturer.
To decrease the chance of a Boston 15-passenger van accident and any resulting injuries (NHTSA):
• Don’t overload the van.
• Wear a seat belt.
• Maintain the car regularly.
• Make sure the you are using tires that are the proper size; check them regularly to ensure that are properly inflated.
• Only let motorists with the proper license and experience drive your 15-passenger van.
A lot of people that ride professionally driven 15-passsenger vans treat the vehicle as if it were a bus by not bothering to buckle up. This is not a good idea. 15-passenger van accidents can result in head trauma, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, massive internal injuries, burn injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other serious injuries.
Consumer Advisory: NHTSA Offers Tips for Safe Travel in 15-Passenger Vans, NHTSA, March 22, 2012
Q&A: 15-passenger vans, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, April 2011
Rollover, CBS News, February 11, 2009
More Blog Posts:
NTSB Calling for Total Cell Phone Ban on All US Roads and Highways, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, December 15, 2011
Preventing Boston 15-Passsenger Van Accidents: NHTSA Reissues Consumer Warning, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, October 15, 2010
15-Passenger Van Accident on Massachusetts’s Tobin Bridge Leaves 13 People Injured, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, September 1, 2008
Contact Altman & Altman, LLP today and ask to speak with one of our Boston 15-passenger van accident lawyers today.