#12 PASSENGER VEHICLES LICENSE#

Due in part to a high center of gravity, these vehicles are at an increased risk for rollovers. Several factors make large vans more dangerous than other vehicles. The number for 15-passenger vans was nearly double this at 15.6 per 100,000. The number of these accidents was 8.7 per 100,000 for passenger cars. One element of the study looked at fatal, single-vehicle crashes per 100,000 registered vehicles by vehicle type. In 2004 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a study of accidents between 19 involving 15-passenger vans.

#12 PASSENGER VEHICLES LICENSE#

NAD Working Policy allows the use of “minivans and SUVs, mini-school buses, fifteen-passenger buses with dual rear wheels.” Some of these vehicles often require a commercial driver’s license (CDL), so make sure you know the law before purchasing one of these alternatives to a prohibited vehicle. There are some exceptions to this, however.

Vans above 135 inches should not be used. Using the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) placard inside the driver’s door frame, look for the letters “WB.” The numbers associated with it tell you what your vehicle’s wheelbase is in inches. The wheelbase is defined as the distance from the center of the rear wheel to the center of the front wheel.įinding your vehicle’s wheelbase is relatively easy. ARM has found that vans with a wheelbase greater than 135 inches or an overall length greater than 225 inches are among the most dangerous vehicles, regardless of the number of passengers they can accommodate. To determine if a vehicle is prohibited or not, you have to dig a little deeper than seating capacity. There are 15-passenger vans that are safe to use and 12-passenger vans that are not. So why are so many unauthorized vehicles still in use?Īlthough a more significant financial liability may exist from an accident that involves additional people, the number of passengers a vehicle holds isn’t necessarily what makes a vehicle more or less dangerous. These combined efforts have successfully removed many 15-passenger vans from the fleet.

In 2016 the NAD voted to add so-called “15-passenger vans” to the list of prohibited vehicles in the NAD Working Policy (pre-1977 buses are also prohibited from use). (ARM) to remove these prohibited vehicles from use by churches, schools, and other ministries. There has been an effort by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists (NAD) and Adventist Risk Management, Inc. Some vehicles that hold fewer than 15 passengers can be just as deadly. The term “15-passenger van” can be misleading. For years it has been known that 15-passenger vans pose an increased risk for serious and deadly accidents.

12 passenger vehicles