DALLAS (ABP) — Federal agencies have issued safety warnings about them and major insurance companies have stopped writing policies on them, but some churches continue to struggle with the question of what to do with 15-passenger vans.
Three years ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a study showing the risk of a rollover crash increases threefold when 10 or more people ride in a 15-passenger van.
“This increased risk occurs because the passenger weight raises the vehicle's center of gravity and causes it to shift rearward. As a result, the van has less resistance to rollover and handles differently from other commonly driven passenger vehicles, making it more difficult to control in an emergency situation,” the agency concluded, noting that more than 90 percent of rollovers occur after a driver has lost control of a vehicle and run off the road.
A related report by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed more than half of 15-passenger vans involved in single-vehicle fatal accidents during the 1990s experienced rollovers, as compared to one third of cars rolling over in similar situations.
Two church-van rollover wrecks in 2001 prompted the safety board to issue an alert about the vans.
One accident near Henrietta, Texas, involved 11 senior adults and their driver from an Assembly of God church in Burkburnett. The van was traveling about 65 miles per hour in clear weather when it had a blowout in its left rear tire. The van skidded off the road, rolling over at least twice in the median. The accident killed the driver and three passengers and left eight passengers seriously injured.
That incident — coupled with another rollover wreck two months later involving a van owned by Virginia Heights Baptist Church in Roanoke, Va. — led the safety board to conclude 15-passenger vans demand a skill level of drivers greater than what passenger cars require.
“We are urging all organizations, from church groups and schools to non-profit and public-interest organizations, to learn that driving and maintaining 15-passengers vans is not the same as the average family car, and that it is critical that seat belts be used,” said Ellen Engleman, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Last year, GuideOne Insurance — one of the country's largest church insurers — stopped writing new coverage for the vans, saying they were “inherently unsafe.” The company issued an advisory urging policyholders using the vans to “replace them with safer vehicle options.”
For churches and other groups that continue to use the vans, the National Transportation Safety Board has issued these recommendations:
— Keep seatbelts accessible and visible, and require passengers to use them.
— Inspect seatbelts and safety harnesses regularly. Replace missing buckles, as well as broken and worn belts.
— Have an automotive professional check the condition of tires for uneven wear, cracks and damage. Low mileage doesn't mean tires are safe; age and exposure to the elements can lead to tire degradation and dry rot.
— Check the tire pressure often, and make sure it conforms to manufacturers' standards. The safety board discovered one major problem with 15-passenger vans is that tires often are under-inflated, leading to higher tire temperatures, faster deterioration and diminished stability.
— Provide specialized training for drivers since 15-passenger vans handle differently than other vehicles, especially when they are fully loaded.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration affirms many of the same guidelines. For instance, the agency reports in the last 10 years, 80 percent of the people killed in rollover crashes were not wearing seatbelts. It estimates people who wear seatbelts are 75 percent less likely to be killed in a rollover crash than people who are unbelted.
The agency also adds an additional recommendation to reduce the rollover risk — when 15-passenger vans are not full, passengers should sit in seats that are in front of the rear axle. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov, www.ntsb.gov and www.guideonecenter.com.
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