A 3-minute lesson from the Tennessee course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Fifteen-passenger vans and recreational vehicles handle more like trucks than cars. They're top-heavy, need longer to stop and have big blind spots. Loading them wrong and steering suddenly are the main ways they roll over.
Know the rule
Everyone in a 15-passenger van must wear a safety belt at all times — it's Tennessee law. NHTSA estimates 80 percent of those killed in these vans weren't properly restrained.
In Tennessee from 1994 to 2007, 195 people died in 15-passenger vans; of 181 with known belt use, 138 (76 percent) were unbelted. An estimated 105 might have lived if buckled.
Check tires every time the van is used. Front and rear pressures often differ, and underinflated rear tires — especially the left rear — are a major cause of tread separation.
No special license or endorsement is needed to drive a 15-passenger van in Tennessee, but drivers should be trained, experienced, well-rested and off the phone. Consider using a passenger as a spotter.
These vans need longer to stop and don't turn as easily. Nearly 70 percent of fatal 15-passenger van crashes in Tennessee involved two or more vehicles.
Seat passengers as far forward as possible — the rear seat usually sits behind the rear axle. Don't tow trailers or put cargo on the roof; both raise rollover risk.
Your youth group has 8 people in a 15-passenger van and plans to strap coolers on the roof. Instead, seat everyone toward the front, put the coolers inside low and centered, check the rear tire pressure, and make sure every person buckles up.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
To lower the risk of rollover in a 15-passenger van that isn't full, passengers should sit:
As far toward the front as possible
In the rear seat behind the axle
Spread out in every row
Near the side doors
Answer: As far toward the front as possible
The rear seat is usually behind the rear axle, pushing the center of gravity back; passengers should sit as far forward as possible.