use of child safety seats in 15-passenger vans

U

Unregistered

Guest
Hello,

Are 15-passenger vans covered under the general child passenger safety laws in the state of Virginia? Is there any guidance re: placement of rear-facing infant seats in 15-passenger vans?

Thanks-

Sherry
 
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skiersnowboarder3

Senior Community Member
The laws would be the same with a large passenger van as they would be with a car. Do you have a specific question about the van/ carseats in it? There are a few of us on here with LOTS of experience with large passenger vans and carseats.
 

twokidstwodogs

New member
15-passenger vans are not very safe vehicles in general. Federal law prohibits their use for transporting children to and from school or school activities, and some states also prohibit their use by child care centers. If they do not have stability control, they roll very easily, and many of them lack appropriate headrests and lap/shoulder belts in some of the seating positions.

That being said, sometimes there is no alternative, particularly for families with many children. But before placing any child in a 15-passenger van, I would look very carefully at all the available safety data so as to determine the best positions. (An infant in a rearfacing seat will likely be one of the safest passengers in the van.)

Here's a link to the NHTSA advisory on 15-passenger vans.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/Cars/problems/studies/15PassVans/15PassCustomerAdvisory.htm

I'm not sure whether Virginia regulates their use further. Is this your van, or someone else's? Is it for your own children, or do you run a child care facility? If it's not your van for your own children, you should certainly look into Virginia laws concerning it.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
15-passenger vans must follow the same laws as passenger cars in Virginia regarding child passenger safety.

That said, because of the intrinsic instability of these vans, it is absolutely imperative that when you use one of these vans you follow Best Practice rather than the law (which is the legal MINIMUM).

I suggest you visit my website http://rbranch-cpst.com/legality.aspx and if you need assistance, please don't hesitate to ask.
 
Q

Quaddad

Guest
The laws would be the same with a large passenger van as they would be with a car. Do you have a specific question about the van/ carseats in it? There are a few of us on here with LOTS of experience with large passenger vans and carseats.
I know this is an old thread but im specifically looking for rear facing car seats to fit in a ford passenger van. I just bought the van a few months and got the car seats (4, have quadruplets on the way) and there isnt enough spacing between the rows. I have a 2 year old already who is in a front facing seat, but this was the only van that made sense to comfortably fit 5 car seats..... did i mess up?
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
Hello,

Are 15-passenger vans covered under the general child passenger safety laws in the state of Virginia? Is there any guidance re: placement of rear-facing infant seats in 15-passenger vans?

Thanks-

Sherry

You would have to check with local or state law enforcement, but there are few laws actually prohibiting the use or transport of children in 15-passenger vans. There are federal restrictions that prohibit the purchase of new vans by school districts unless they meet certain safety criteria.

If it is your only option, you would have to follow the instructions in the child safety seat owner's manual to install it, making sure the seatbelt system in the van is not one of those shown as incompatible in the manual.


 

MelodyoftheForest

Active member
Exactly what vehicle do you have?

My brother and his family have a 10-passenger Transit van, and it worked for them because they only had one rear-facer at the time. You could only put RF seats in the row right behind the driver or on the single seat by the door. The single seat would present a pinching risk as it's so close to the doors. If you have a 15-passenger van, could you remove, say, the third row and have RF seats in the second and fourth rows?
 

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