Reprinted from The Safety Record, V3, Issue 3, Nov. / Dec. 2006
CROWNSVILLE, MD – Despite the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s assertions to the contrary, their warnings about the rollover propensities of 15-passenger vans have not stemmed the death toll, according to a new analysis of government data.
Statistician Randy Whitfield of Quality Control Systems Corporation says that the cumulative rate of deaths in 15-passenger van rollovers has actually risen since NHTSA started issuing the first of four consumer advisories from 2001 to 2005. One third of all the 15-passenger van rollover deaths since 1982 occurred after April 9, 2001, when the federal government first started warning the public about the vehicle’s hazards, once loaded to capacity with occupants and cargo. Continue reading