United States federal safety investigators on Tuesday recommended that 15-passenger vans – popular with school and church groups – be equipped with additional safety belts and stronger roofs to prevent injuries during accidents, especially rollovers, the Detroit News reported.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more


The paper said investigators also called for better training and licensing for drivers, who are often ill-equipped to handle the vehicles when fully loaded with passengers and cargo during an emergency or abrupt manoeuvre.


The National Transportation Safety Board made the findings following a two-year investigation into high-profile van crashes in Texas and North Carolina, the Detroit News said.


“We have identified a gap in (federal safety) rules,” NTSB chairwoman Ellen Engleman said, according to the newspaper. “We have a vehicle designated as a bus, but structurally, it’s not built to the same safety standards as a bus.”


Engleman also said the vans have been engineered and marketed outside the parameters of the safety standards that apply to a commercial vehicle, the Detroit News said.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“(These vans) are sold essentially as a passenger vehicle on a dealer’s lot, but its design characteristics as well as the driving characteristics are quite different from that of a passenger vehicle,” she reportedly added.


The newspaper said the board is recommending that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration require the same standards for interior padding and roof strength to 15-passenger vans as well as cars. The NTSB only has the power to recommend changes to vehicle safety regulations. They must be implemented and enforced by the NHTSA.


The board also called on Ford and General Motors, the only manufacturers currently selling large vans, to voluntarily adopt new designs while NHTSA completes new regulations, the Detroit News said.