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Safety Option For 15-Passenger Vans Available
| Complete rollover elimination in 15 passenger vans is impossible due to the vehicles design and the complexity of a rollover event. With the addition of the Roadmaster Active Suspension system, the vehicle will become safer and less prone to rollover.Thus was the conclusion after extensive independent dynamic handling tests conducted at the Transportation Research Centre Inc (TRC) of Liberty, Ohio. The study used a Ford E350, 15 Passenger Van as it represents 85% of this type of vehicle on US roads. The van was specially outfitted with test measuring equipment, professional driver and a simulated 14 passenger load. “Fully loaded with 15 people, this vehicle becomes almost three times as likely to rollover in an emergency situation and is one of the most dangerous vehicles on the road today”, said Clive Schewitz, Owner of Roadmaster Active Suspension Inc.“We commissioned the TRC study to show how effective our system is at significantly improving road handling, load carrying and safety… including reducing the risk of rollover”, said Schewitz. “Given the definitive margin of safety achieved by installing Roadmaster Active Suspension on 15 passenger vans, just imagine what it will do for your Pickup or SUV”, he added. During one test, a fully loaded 15-passenger van traveling 23 miles per hour went on two wheels and nearly overturned while making a fishhook turn (similar to a U-turn). The same van fitted with Roadmaster Active Suspension kept all four wheels on the ground when making the same turn at 25 miles an hour. A short video, narrated by Dr. Jerry Punch, featuring highlights of the TRC study has been produced and a CD-Rom version of the video is available from Active Suspension Customer Service at 1-800-398-5036. |
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 With the extensive tests at the TRC concluded, Schewitz said they have targeted the information toward Colleges, Churches, Schools, Hotels, Day Care Centers and even state and local government agencies, all of which are regular users of the 15 passenger vehicles. The hazards of these vehicles have been widely publicized, but more than 500,000 are still on the road. “RAS will make the vehicle safer and less prone to rollover, however, NO product in the world will prevent rollover occurrences. It’s like when ABS braking came out, it will help but it’s not a save all”, Arnce said.Fatal accidents in 15 passenger vans often occur after a driver dozes off or losses attention and has to make a sudden steering maneuver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Fully loaded vans are harder to control during typical collision avoidance maneuvers because passengers’ weight raises the center of gravity. The Roadmaster Active Suspension enhancement can’t promise to eliminate rollovers but can significantly improve a van’s safety in these types of situations. If a person or organization can not afford to replace its van(s) this year, it’s important that you take these immediate steps to minimize the risk. |
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