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Full-Size-Van Safety Improvements

StabiliTrak increases confidence in multi-passenger vans

Television news magazines have been having a field day with coverage of numerous safety groups' concerns over the safety aspects of full-sized passenger vans. No matter if it is an actual or perceived condition, this is a concern for anyone who rides, drives or allows their loved ones to be transported in these large people haulers.

Safety Concerns

This concern isn't being directed at minivans, but the large, multi-passenger vans we see racing around airports and between the surrounding hotels. This apprehension has elevated to the point where a number of school districts and church groups are parking their vans and cutting services due to their trepidation.

Now, industry has always believed these vehicles to be quite safe if driven properly by alert and attentive drivers. Unfortunately, that all too often doesn't seem to be the case. Many drivers barely can keep their hands on the steering wheel, let alone completely concentrate on keeping the vehicle between the lines. If he or she is an unskilled or untrained driver, they put everyone on the road at risk. After all, a vehicle is only as safe as the driver in control.

Driver Skill

Unfortunately, the majority of these vehicles are, in fact, driven by unskilled drivers. Many are volunteers from the church or community service group they are transporting. Thankfully, we have such kind individuals because without their help many large groups would be unable to provide needed transportation services. So, having the best driver and the most sophisticated vehicle available is the best way to put the odds of getting to your destination in your favor.

New Technology

Manufacturers of full-sized passenger vans are well aware of this dilemma and, though they may not be able to do anything about the driver, are taking steps to make their multi-passenger vans as capable as possible. While Ford and Chrysler offer many safety features for the E-Series and Sprinter vans, respectively, General Motors is the only one of the three to offer its Stabilitrak system as a standard feature on their regular wheelbase 12-passenger vans, the Chevrolet Express and the GMC Savannah.

GM engineers have worked diligently to develop a stability system that would give the vehicle the ability to help the driver remain in control during an emergency situation. Stability can be an issue with any vehicle, but is compounded by the massive size of a multi-passenger van.

If the driver of a vehicle with this stature becomes distracted and inadvertently moves to the shoulder of the road, they usually become startled and jerk the vehicle back toward the roadway. This move upsets the vehicle dynamics and there begins an uncontrolled slide toward the opposite side of the road. It is here that things really get sticky. The driver jerks the wheel back the opposite direction and heaven only knows what will happen in the ensuing minutes. At this time, one might as well let go of the steering wheel because any input to the wheel will only amplify an already dangerous situation.

Vehicle Dynamics

Make this same move in a vehicle equipped with StabiliTrak and you get a completely different outcome. We know, because we tried unsuccessfully to get a StabiliTrak-equipped van to go out of control and perform spins. Safely, on GM's test track, we worked for well over an hour to get the van we were driving to go out of control, to no avail.

The StabiliTrak system helps keep the vehicle in control by applying braking to one or more of the four wheels as the vehicle's many sensors and computer control system detect an out-of-control situation. The system also regulates the engine's throttle to assure the driver doesn't attempt to over-accelerate.

Test Track

Simulating one of the most treacherous situations one might see, we doused the test area with tons of slick water. Then we drove the van through the course at speeds ranging from 35 to 60 miles per hour. At the appropriate time, we would dramatically twist the steering wheel to the right and just as radically back to the left. Each time we went through the test procedure we would get even more aggressive with twisting the wheel, to the point where we had the front wheels turned as far as they could turn, one way then the other. No matter how hard we tried, we could not get this GM van to go out of control or spin. Sure it slid and it tried to spin, but it didn't and, better yet, it stayed on the make-believe road.

The realization that no matter how unskilled a driver we tried to imitate, we could not get the van to act as a normally equipped vehicle would under the same circumstances. Bottom line, this test demonstrated that a vehicle stability system is technology that needs to be on every multi-passenger van on the road. No matter that it is an airport, hotel, commuter, school and service group transporter—this technology would only benefit us all.