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Things To Check Before You Hop Into The Louis Armstrong Airport Shuttle.

Commercial and 15-passenger vans used to be dangerous vehicles. For years, these cheaply made vans were poorly designed and did not receive anywhere near the safety engineering attention dedicated to passenger vehicles, even though passenger transport was and remains one of their main uses. Back in 2001, 197 people died in 15-passenger vans, of which 93 were killed in single-vehicle rollover accidents.

Things have improved since, and the fatality rate has dropped sharply. But the number of accidents remains very high in relation to the number of registered vans, and while passengers are less likely to die, the odds of being injured in a crash are still high.

What is the problem with vans?

Passenger and commercial vans handle quite differently from passenger cars:

• They are longer, higher and wider;
• When fully loaded, the center of gravity is much higher, making roll-overs more likely;
• When fully loaded, the brake system is generally undersized in relation to the weight;
• The visibility of the back and sides is poor or inexistent;
• Because they are used intensively, there is little time for maintenance and parts replacement. The result: worn-out tires, underinflated tires, deficient brakes, sagging suspension, deficient wipers, etc.

Then, there is the driver. The business of transporting small groups of passengers is often quite irregular in volume and timing. Hiring, training and keeping good drivers under such conditions is particularly difficult. This means that drivers often have no experience with transporting passengers and driving a van.

Should you be worried about taking the airport shuttle?

The single most important risk is the load factor. If twelve or more passengers and their luggage board a van, the risk of a crash will be twice as high as if there are only three or four.

The other risk factor is in your own hands: buckle up. Most passenger van fatalities were passengers who did not fasten their seatbelts. Statistics have shown that seatbelt usage is much lower in these vans than in passenger cars.

If you have been involved in a commercial or 15-passenger van accident, contact the commercial vehicle accident attorneys of the Young Firm in New Orleans immediately for a free, no-commitment evaluation of your case.

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