How Safe are Vans?

The information on this page applies more to large 15 passenger vans than to camper vans and custom vans, however with many up fitters and raised tops, the aerodynamics and weight distribution comes into play. We love vans and will continue to drive them, however they are clearly not the safest vehicles on the road.

Safercar.gov 15 Passenger Van Safety - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is again urging all 15-passenger van users to take appropriate precautions to guard against the possibility of a tragic rollover crash.

From 1982 through 2007, there were 698 fatal rollovers of 15-passenger vans in which an occupant of the van was killed. These crashes killed 1,107 persons and incapacitatingly injured an additional 1,899. 5,855 persons were involved in fatal rollovers as drivers or passengers in the vans, of whom only 282 were uninjured. Because the victims were relatively young, 37,496 premature years of life (before age 70) have been lost in rollovers of 15-passenger vans since 1982.