US Federal Law Prohibits use of 15 passenger vans for school transportation

In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been actively working for more than two decades to educate the public about the use of 15 passenger vans for school related transportation.

Click here to read "15 Passenger Van Outreach Plan" from the NHTSA

The NHTSA published an action plan for 15‐passenger van safety in 2003 that described research programs, consumer information activities, and regulatory actions intended to address the safety of 15‐passenger van users. The plan was updated in 2004, and since then the agency has completed the majority of planned projects. The remaining actions include rulemakings to improve roof crush resistance and mitigate occupant ejections; updating 15‐passenger van crash fatality research; and ongoing consumer information activities.

Since 2004, NHTSA completed five major rulemakings that improve on the safety of 15‐passenger vans. As of 2005, Federal law prohibits the use of 15‐passenger vans for the school related transport of high school age and younger students and since model year 2006, NHTSA has included 15‐passenger vans in its New Car Assessment Program rollover testing. In addition, the action plan was updated again in April 2008 and reported on progress since the 2004 update.

Moving forward, NHTSA is committed to conducting ongoing consumer education to address 15‐passenger van safety through a sustained public education campaign.