SoCalHoops Recruiting News
SoCalHoops Recruiting News
Club Teams: NHTSA Warns Of
15-Passenger
Van Rollover Risk--(Apr. 13, 2001)
Most people involved in college recruiting in basketball have come to know and love the 15-passenger van, used simply because they are the only beasts big enough, tall enough, and with enough leg room to transport in relative comfort (note we use the word "relative") a group of very big human beings, indeed whole teams of them, to places such as Las Vegas, Fresno, Berkeley, San Diego and all points in between. Ever tried to squeeze 10 players of even moderate size into your average 8-passenger family van? And forget about luggage, we're talking about three or four 6'-8" (or bigger) players, and 7 or so moderately sized guards and wings. . . Forget it. You absolutely need a 15-passenger van, unless everyone is going to drive separately, and then you're just asking for trouble (missing players, wrong directions, etc....) Personally, we prefer the Chevy 15-passenger models, although the Fords are pretty nice, and some think they have better air conditioning. Make sure that the one you get has rear-controls for the A/C otherwise there will be a lot of complaining and whining. . . . And a few DVD players doesn't hurt either.
But apparently these vans aren't as innocent as they may seem, and they may be a lot more dangerous than any of us thought. . . .
This week the National High Traffic Safety Administration issued a cautionary warning to users of 15-passenger vans, citing an increased risk of rollover when those vans carry more than 10 occupants. The NHTSA, which studied the issue after several highly publicized rollover incidents involving college students and student-athletes, found that vans loaded with 10 or more occupants were three times as likely to roll over as compared to other light trucks and vans or lightly loaded 15-passenger vans.
The NCAA's website carried the story today, focusing mostly on the use by member institutions of these vans, but there isn't a club or AAU travel program anywhere in California that hasn't at one time or another made use of them.
According to the NCAA, the NHTSA, which studied the issue after several highly publicized rollover incidents involving college students and student-athletes, found that vans loaded with 10 or more occupants were three times as likely to roll over as compared to other light trucks and vans or lightly loaded 15-passenger vans. "Our concern is that the handling characteristics of these vehicles change dramatically when they are fully loaded with 10 or more passengers," said Rae Tyson, an NHTSA spokesperson. "The risk of rollover increases three times when they are loaded."
The group's analysis revealed that loading the 15-passenger van causes the center of gravity to shift rearward and upward, increasing the likelihood of rollover. It also found that the shift in the van's center of gravity also increases the potential for loss of control in panic maneuvers. The NHTSA study also noted that even when carrying between one and four passengers, the 15-passenger vans were 17 percent more likely to be involved in a rollover accident than smaller vans or minivans. Because of these risks, the NHTSA has announced that "it is important that 15-passenger vans be operated by experienced drivers." While drivers of 15-passenger vans are not required to possess a commercial driver's license, the NHTSA notes that drivers should be familiar with the handling characteristics of vans, especially when the vans are fully loaded.
The NHTSA urged institutions using 15-passenger vans to require seat-belt use at all times since buckling up dramatically increases the chances of survival during a rollover crash. The federal agency noted that 80 percent of victims who died in 15-passenger van rollover accidents last year were not wearing seat belts. While federal law prohibits the sale of 15-passenger vans for the transport of high-school age students and those who are younger, no such prohibition exists for vehicles that transport college students or other passengers.
Most car rental agencies will refuse to rent the vans if they are advised in advance that the person renting will use the van to transport high-school age students (e.g., college recruiting prospects). But this hasn't stopped those who rent the vehicles, the end user, from doing so. Just pull into Vegas in late July this year and see what we're talking about. The Durango HS parking lot looks like a fleet sale.
The models examined by the NHTSA were: the Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, Dodge Ram Van and Wagon, Ford Econoline, Ford Club Wagon and GMC Rally/Vandura. "These are perfectly safe vehicles if they are used properly," said Mike Morrisey, a spokesperson for the General Motors Corporation. "People should always remember that loading affects handling characteristics."
Personally, we've had a lot of experience driving these things, and we were actually surprised to read the findings because anyone who has had the pleasure of driving one can tell you that a fully loaded 15-passenger van seems to drive so much better on the highway than does an unloaded van. Driving one unloaded, even at moderate speeds around the LA freeway system can be a scary experience: The suspension systems on these things are super stiff, designed to anticipate loading another 3000 extra pounds into the van, and they when they're missing that extra load, the sit up higher on the road, drive differently, and at times bounce wildly all over the road. The experience is not unlike riding a horse with an unusual gait. . . . But fully loaded, they seem to settle down and handling is smoother. Which evidently is the deceptive thing about these vehicles, making the NHTSA study all the more alarming. But as we sometimes learn the hard way in life, appearances can be deceiving. So don't be fooled, drive carefully and tell your passengers to sit down, buckle up and get comfortable. Because the idea is to make it there an back in one piece. Otherwise there's not much point in talking about recruiting, tournaments, or basketball.
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