Accidents involving 15-passenger vans are unfortunately a reality. Sadly, many children and teens are often involved in these types of crashes because they are the ones being transported in these types of vehicles. Whether a large van is transporting kids to a church camp, taking students to a spelling bee, or transporting a team to another school for a game, 15-passenger vans are often used by schools, churches, and non-profit organizations.
While many schools keep their vehicles well-maintained, many churches and non-profit organizations don’t have the budget or don’t have someone on staff to oversee vehicle maintenance. This means that sometimes vehicles of this nature might not be regularly maintained, are often in service longer than they should be, and are running on old tires or improperly inflated tires. Because any of these things could lead to a serious accident, it stands to reason that there are many dangers of 15-passenger vans, including:
- Driver operation and handling. Many people who drive 15-passenger vans don’t realize that these vehicles handle differently than cars. They are wider, longer, and taller than normal vehicles and turn and handle differently. As a result, driver inexperience sometimes can cause a van accident.
- Cargo placement. It is important that luggage and other cargo are correctly placed in the van. This is because the wrong placement of cargo can affect the van’s center of gravity and lead to a rollover accident in Florida.
- Tire Size and Age. When tires have degraded over time due to old age or they have not been inflated correctly, a van accident can occur. Additionally, if a van has the wrong size of tires, it can handle differently than it should and could be involved in a rollover crash.
Most 15-passener vans do not provide a high level of safety for children and teen passengers. For this reason, parents should think twice before allowing their children to ride in 15-passenger vans. Sadly, most accidents involving vans of this nature end in Florida rollovers that cause serious injuries and fatalities. Because large vans are more likely to roll, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) encourages all owners of 15-passenger vans to inspect their tires to make sure they are the correct size, have the correct tire pressure, and are not too old.
Owners of 15-passenger vans should also make sure that anyone who drives these vans knows how to steer these vehicles, turn and handle them, and properly load the cargo so that they can reduce the risk of being in a rollover crash.
If your son or daughter was a passenger in a van accident that caused him or her to suffer serious injuries, you should contact an experienced South Florida personal injury lawyer. At the Law Offices of David Benenfeld, we can inform you of your rights and answer your questions in a free legal consultation at (954) 677-0155.
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