Death In Passenger Van Rollover Prompts Advisory On Overloading Risk

The recent death of a Lansing, Michigan choir boy in a van rollover is a pointed reminder of the necessity of observing load limits on church vans and avoiding carrying too many passengers. 

A 15-passenger church van was transporting 17 people home from a choir performance in Grand Rapids when the van’s rear tire blew, causing the driver to lose control on Interstate 96, according to an article in the Lansing State Journal. The van collided with another vehicle, then slid sideways off the road, killing one young passenger and severely injuring several others. 

After the fatal accident, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on March 22 issued a consumer advisory warning that 15-passenger vans are especially sensitive to loading and should never be overloaded under any circumstances. Overloading vans makes the vehicles harder to maneuver, more unstable and increases the rollover risk. 

Research by the NTHSA on 15-passenger vans indicates that half of fatal van accidents involved heavily loaded vans carrying 10 or more passengers that rolled over. A heavily loaded van shifts the center of gravity rearward making the van harder to control. 

Passengers in vans should wear seat belts every trip, the advisory said. Seat belts provide some passenger protection, even in the event of a van rollover accident. About 60 percent of van occupants who died in fatal van accidents were not wearing seat belts, the NHTSA research shows. Buckle up! 

Highway traffic safety regulators also note that 15-passenger vans should have proper sized tires with appropriate load ratings and should be properly inflated to guard against accident-causing blowouts. Tires 10 years or older should be replaced, including spares that have never been used. 

Many churches rely on 15-passenger vans for transportation to church outings and activities, particularly in busy summer months. A third of fatal van rollover accidents occur between June and August according to NHTSA research. Churches may keep older vans in service for extended periods of time due to tight budgets. Regular preventive maintenance on tires, brakes and suspension systems can help avoid serious accidents and rollovers. 

Our Kentucky car accident attorneys encourage organizers of events where 15-passenger vans will be used for transportation to heed these warnings. Keep the occupants safe and help to arrive safely at your destination by not overloading the vans.