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NTSB to Hold Hearings on Safety of 15-Passenger Vans

Aired July 15, 2003 - 10:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well keeping you safe on the road is the focus of federal authorities today. The NTSB will hold a hearing this afternoon on the possible dangers associated with 15-passenger vans. Our Kathleen Koch joins now us with details on that. Kathleen, good morning.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Federal investigators are very concerned about these 15-passenger vans. They are very often driven by van pools, by church groups and school sports teams.

Over the last 13 years, there have been hundreds of crashes of these vans, leaving some 424 people dead. The NTSB has found that when fully loaded the vans are three times more likely to roll over than a smaller van.

In 2000, road tests were conducted by two independent groups for attorneys representing some of the victims of these crashes. They found that when sharp turns of the steering wheel are made at speeds between 45 and 52 miles per hour, one side of the van's wheels leave the ground. And it would roll over if not for the safety bars that are used for the test.

Consumer groups want these vehicles redesigned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOAN CLAYBROOK, PRESIDENT, PUBLIC CITIZEN: The more you load them down, the more they roll over. So if you have five or fewer people in the vehicle, it's less likely to roll over. If you have five to ten, it's more. If it's 15 people, which is what it's designed for, supposedly, then it's very susceptible to rollover. You take an evasive maneuver or one wheel goes off the edge of the road, these vehicles go out of control. It's virtually impossible to control them after that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Ford Motors, which makes 85 percent of the 15-passenger vans, had no comment on the upcoming NTSB hearing today. But General Motors released a statement saying that, quote, "GM believes its extended, full-size vans are very safe."

Now, GM did announce back in May that it was installing vehicle stability enhancement systems on all of its 15-passenger vans starting in 2004. Ford, though, has announced no such design changes.

That NTSB hearing begins today at 1:00 p.m. and we will be following it and reporting on its findings -- Daryn.

KAGAN: We look forward to that. Kathleen, thank you. Kathleen Koch in Washington, D.C.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired July 15, 2003 - 10:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well keeping you safe on the road is the focus of federal authorities today. The NTSB will hold a hearing this afternoon on the possible dangers associated with 15-passenger vans. Our Kathleen Koch joins now us with details on that. Kathleen, good morning.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Federal investigators are very concerned about these 15-passenger vans. They are very often driven by van pools, by church groups and school sports teams.

Over the last 13 years, there have been hundreds of crashes of these vans, leaving some 424 people dead. The NTSB has found that when fully loaded the vans are three times more likely to roll over than a smaller van.

In 2000, road tests were conducted by two independent groups for attorneys representing some of the victims of these crashes. They found that when sharp turns of the steering wheel are made at speeds between 45 and 52 miles per hour, one side of the van's wheels leave the ground. And it would roll over if not for the safety bars that are used for the test.

Consumer groups want these vehicles redesigned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOAN CLAYBROOK, PRESIDENT, PUBLIC CITIZEN: The more you load them down, the more they roll over. So if you have five or fewer people in the vehicle, it's less likely to roll over. If you have five to ten, it's more. If it's 15 people, which is what it's designed for, supposedly, then it's very susceptible to rollover. You take an evasive maneuver or one wheel goes off the edge of the road, these vehicles go out of control. It's virtually impossible to control them after that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Ford Motors, which makes 85 percent of the 15-passenger vans, had no comment on the upcoming NTSB hearing today. But General Motors released a statement saying that, quote, "GM believes its extended, full-size vans are very safe."

Now, GM did announce back in May that it was installing vehicle stability enhancement systems on all of its 15-passenger vans starting in 2004. Ford, though, has announced no such design changes.

That NTSB hearing begins today at 1:00 p.m. and we will be following it and reporting on its findings -- Daryn.

KAGAN: We look forward to that. Kathleen, thank you. Kathleen Koch in Washington, D.C.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com