15 Passenger Van Roll-Overs

Accidents in which a vehicle rolls over are particularly dangerous. The roof may collapse and passengers not wearing seatbelts may be thrown from the vehicle. Thus, it would seem that if a car, truck, or van is extremely prone to rolling over, it would not be widely used, and production would eventually stop. 

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. 15 Passenger vans, which have repeatedly proven to be one of the most dangerous types of vehicles on the road, continue to be regularly used by schools, daycares, churches, youth organizations, hotels, and airports. Many deadly roll-over accidents involving this type of van have made news for years.

There are two main design issues that make 15 passenger vans more likely than other vehicles to roll over during an emergency situation. First, they have a high center of gravity. 

This means that most of the vehicles mass is concentrated high above its wheelbase, making it very top-heavy. This effect gets worse and worse as the van approaches full capacity. In the event that the vehicle begins to tip over, the high center of gravity means that it will continue into a full roll more easily than a less top-heavy car. A full 15 passenger van is 3 times more likely to roll than a normal sized van.

Second, despite using the wheelbase of a standard van, 15 passenger van passenger cabins extend far behind the vehicle's rear axle. When people use the rear row of seats, the balance of the vehicle can be thrown towards the rear, particularly if the passengers are not evenly dispersed throughout the cabin. Under these circumstances, if the van must swerve to avoid an obstacle, the back end may swing out and cause the vehicle to spin, or worse, begin to roll.

In addition to design issues, the fact that 15 passenger vans are usually driven by individuals with little experience controlling large vehicles also adds to the danger. Though coaches, choir instructors, band directors, and church group supervisors may be good drivers under normal circumstances, there is a good chance they have not been forced to deal with a vehicle as inherently unstable as a 15 passenger van. Large vans can react much more violently from tire blowouts, uneven pavement, or potholes than the vehicles these people are used to driving.