Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Parliamentarians Use MFAVs to shuttle around Parliament Hill: They don't use 15 passenger vans for a good reason
We couldn't help but notice that Parliament Hill staffers and MPs use the CSA approved, safer Multi Function Activity Vehicles (MFAVs) to shuttle around the Parliamentary district.
Stella Gurr, left, and Isabelle Hains, right, in front of a House of Commons MFAV on Parliament Hill, May 28, 2010.
They certainly don't use 15 passenger vans. The irony is that we are here in Ottawa trying to convince the same Parliamentarians to ban 15 passenger vans for student use and we are surrounded by MFAVs. Rest assured that our politicians are safe when they travel around Parliament Hill. Don't you think our children deserve the same safe mode of travel?
Photo of 15 passenger van courtesy of Education for the Driving Masses website
http://www.educationforthedrivingmasses.com/2010/05/bill-calls-for-ban-on-15-passenger-vans.html
The Bathurst High School Phantoms 15 passenger van, January 13, 2008. Photo by Sandor Fizli.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Van safety bill recalls 8 N.B. deaths
NDP MP will introduce 'Boys in Red' private member's bill
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/05/26/nb-boys-in-red-bill.html#ixzz0pBfiirXG
The mother of one of seven New Brunswick basketball players killed in a van crash in 2008 is in Ottawa to support a bill that would ban the use of 15-passenger vans by schools.
Isabelle Hains's local MP, Yvon Godin, is scheduled to table a private member’s bill Thursday to impose a cross-Canada ban on school use of such vans.
"This is another step in the right direction for student safety," said Hains.
Seven members of the Bathurst High School basketball team and the wife of the coach, who was also a teacher at the school, were killed after their 15-passenger vehicle collided with a truck on a snow-covered highway just outside of their hometown on Jan. 12, 2008.
Within days of the accident, New Brunswick banned the use of the vans by schools.
'I know in my heart that what happened to them that night could have been, and should have been, prevented.'—Isabelle Hains, mother of Daniel Hains
The 15-passenger vans had already been banned in several American states because of safety concerns. They have been known to roll over in crashes.
"I know in my heart that what happened to them that night could have been, and should have been, prevented and the children are saying now, 'Don’t let this happen again,'" said the mother of Daniel Hains.
Bill called wake-up call
A coroner’s inquest made several recommendations, including making winter tires mandatory and banning the vans for student travel across the country.
Godin, NDP MP for Acadie-Bathurst, said his "Boys in Red" bill, referring to the basketball players' uniforms, will be introduced Thursday afternoon in the Commons and he hopes it’s a wake-up call for the federal government.
He’s hoping the minority Conservative government will support the bill quickly. Godin and Hains will lobby other MPs and senators to get the bill passed.
“I’m not asking to intervene in provincial jurisdiction, but the federal [government] is responsible to make sure any vehicle travelling in the country is a safe vehicle and they have that right to legislate,” said Godin.
“They could have this [bill] done by September if they want to,” said Hains. “These are our children. Children that depend on adults to keep them safe.”
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/05/26/nb-boys-in-red-bill.html#ixzz0pBg4pPSb
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/05/26/nb-boys-in-red-bill.html#ixzz0pBfiirXG
The mother of one of seven New Brunswick basketball players killed in a van crash in 2008 is in Ottawa to support a bill that would ban the use of 15-passenger vans by schools.
Isabelle Hains's local MP, Yvon Godin, is scheduled to table a private member’s bill Thursday to impose a cross-Canada ban on school use of such vans.
"This is another step in the right direction for student safety," said Hains.
Seven members of the Bathurst High School basketball team and the wife of the coach, who was also a teacher at the school, were killed after their 15-passenger vehicle collided with a truck on a snow-covered highway just outside of their hometown on Jan. 12, 2008.
Within days of the accident, New Brunswick banned the use of the vans by schools.
'I know in my heart that what happened to them that night could have been, and should have been, prevented.'—Isabelle Hains, mother of Daniel Hains
The 15-passenger vans had already been banned in several American states because of safety concerns. They have been known to roll over in crashes.
"I know in my heart that what happened to them that night could have been, and should have been, prevented and the children are saying now, 'Don’t let this happen again,'" said the mother of Daniel Hains.
Bill called wake-up call
A coroner’s inquest made several recommendations, including making winter tires mandatory and banning the vans for student travel across the country.
Godin, NDP MP for Acadie-Bathurst, said his "Boys in Red" bill, referring to the basketball players' uniforms, will be introduced Thursday afternoon in the Commons and he hopes it’s a wake-up call for the federal government.
He’s hoping the minority Conservative government will support the bill quickly. Godin and Hains will lobby other MPs and senators to get the bill passed.
“I’m not asking to intervene in provincial jurisdiction, but the federal [government] is responsible to make sure any vehicle travelling in the country is a safe vehicle and they have that right to legislate,” said Godin.
“They could have this [bill] done by September if they want to,” said Hains. “These are our children. Children that depend on adults to keep them safe.”
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/05/26/nb-boys-in-red-bill.html#ixzz0pBg4pPSb
Nanaimo mom continues fight against 15-passenger vans
To read the full article, go to : http://www.montrealgazette.com
NANAIMO, B.C. — A Nanaimo, B.C., mother whose son was killed in a crash in a 15-passenger van is travelling to Ottawa for the introduction this week of a private member’s bill limiting the use of the vans.
Stella Gurr lost her son Michael, 26, in a rollover in Manitoba in 2008. He was on a cross-Canada tour with his Vancouver-based band, The Hotel Lobbyists, when the 15-passenger van in which he was riding in flipped several times along the Trans-Canada Highway.
A year after his death, Gurr corralled family and friends through mass e-mails and spurred hundreds of letters sent to Transport Canada urging officials to take action against the vans she and safety experts have referred to as "death traps."
Research has suggested the vans, originally designed to carry cargo, lack passenger protections, such as reinforced steel frames, have a high centre of gravity and are more prone to rollovers.
Gurr has banded with parents in New Brunswick, who have campaigned for safety changes since the deaths of seven boys and a teacher in a 15-passenger van crash in Bathurst, N.B., in 2008. A coroner’s inquest following that tragedy recommended such vans be banned across Canada for student travel. Several provinces have since outlawed the vans for school use.
Gurr will meet some of the Bathurst parents for the first time on Wednesday, when she lands in Ottawa. On Thursday, she will be at Parliament Hill to support the introduction in the House of Commons of a bill to ban 15-passenger vans for transporting schoolchildren.It is sponsored by NDP MP Yvon Godin of Acadie-Bathhurst.
Following its introduction, the Bathurst parents have planned a news conference. Gurr doesn’t plan to speak but wants to be there for her son.
"For me personally, I gain nothing. I can never get back what I lost," said Gurr. "But I can possibly support the Bathurst mothers and save other lives. That’s my only agenda."
Gurr believes if the vans had been properly licensed and regulated by Transport Canada, the Bathurst boys and her son would be alive.
Nanaimo Daily News
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Nanaimo+continues+fight+against+passenger+vans/3065855/story.html#ixzz0pBclxAWI
Bill calls for national ban on 'deadly' passenger vans
Bryan Murphy, a B.C. safety advocate and a school bus driver and mechanic poses in front of 15-passenger vans in Vancouver seen in this file photo.
Photograph by: Don MacKinnon, Canwest News Service
Read the full story at: http://www.montrealgazette.com
By Laura Stone, Canwest News Service May 27, 2010
OTTAWA — A private member's bill to impose a national ban on "deadly" 15-passenger vans for student travel — and eventually all passenger travel in such vehicles in Canada — was introduced Thursday by a New Democrat MP who is urging the Conservative government to act.
The bill, from New Brunswick MP Yvon Godin, proposes a change to the Criminal Code that would make it an offence to transport students in vans with more than 10 seats and less than 17 seats.
It was a 15-passenger van that was involved in a high-profile accident that killed seven students and a teacher in Bathurst, N.B., on Jan. 12, 2008.
It would also limit the sale, import and inter-provincial shipment of vans and van parts in Canada, leading to an all-out ban on the "deadly" vehicles when used to transport passengers, said Godin.
"The reason why these vans are so dangerous is simple: They were never designed to transport passengers. They were designed to transport goods," said Godin.
"I hope for the good of the safety of our children, that the government takes the lead on this . . . and introduces a bill right after this one."
The proposed legislation would set federal regulations on the vehicles — a move that is currently done at the provinces' discretion.
Following the accident in Bathurst, a coroner's inquest recommended the vans be banned across Canada for transporting students to school and after-school activities. However, a Canwest News Service investigation last year revealed that only three provinces — Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia — have imposed bans.
Transport Minister John Baird was not available for comment, but a spokesman said the minister was aware of the bill introduced Thursday.
"This accident was a real tragedy, and the minister hasn't seen the bill yet but he's happy to meet with Mr. Godin to go over his bill to put politics aside and to see what can be done," said James Kusie, Baird's spokesman.
With the image of her teenage son pinned to her lapel against a red ribbon, Isabelle Hains echoed Godin's plea for government action.
Her son, Daniel, was a member of the Bathurst High School basketball team — dubbed the Boys in Red after the accident — who was killed when their 15-passenger van swerved on the Trans-Canada Highway, colliding with a transport truck.
The New Brunswick ban was put in place after Daniel's death.
Hains said she wants a Canada-wide ban to protect others.
"The children in New Brunswick, and the children in Ontario, and Manitoba, and every other province — they're all equal. So if they're banned in New Brunswick, there's a reason why, because those vehicles are not safe for transporting children," said Hains, who carried framed pictures of her son and his teammates to Ottawa, where she witnessed the bill's introduction in Parliament.
"I know better than anyone else what could happen in a second," she said.
An inquest showed that the vans lack safety features in cars and buses that protect passengers in a crash, such as steel side plates, reinforced roofs, laminated windows and, in the case of school buses, padding and emergency exits.
The vans have also been shown to have a dangerously high centre of gravity, a tendency to fishtail at high speeds, and commonly experience loss of steering control.
The Safety Forum, a U.S. consumer watchdog, called 12 and 15-seat vans "death traps," and the U.S. government has banned their sale for the purposes of transporting children.
A Transport Canada report on the accident, issued prior to the coroner's report, blamed the crash on bad winter weather, driver error and the poor mechanical condition of the school van, but not on the van design itself.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com
National Press Gallery Press Conference Announcing Bill to Ban 15 Passenger Vans
Left to right, holding the Boys in Red banner that was made for the Press conference are Isabelle Hains, Bathurst, New Brunswick, Bryan Murphy, CUPE Nanaimo, British Columbia, Delalene Harris Foran, CUPE 1253 New Brunswick, and Stella Gurr, Nanaimo, BC.
Behind the scenes at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, Ontario, a large television monitor displays the days' schedule of press conferences.
Boys In Red Bill Will be Introduced Today
Today we are in Ottawa to see Yvon Godin, MP for Acadie Bathurst, introduce his Private Members Bill to ban 15 passenger vans for transporting students.
The Bill will be introduced around 3 pm and can be viewed live on the internet at http://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/ParlVu/ContentEntityDetailView.aspx?ContentEntityId=6206
Ottawa Citizen: MP to introduce bill to ban 'death-trap' vans
By Richard Foot, Canwest News Service May 26, 2010
For two years, Isabelle Hains and other grieving parents who lost their sons in one of Canada's worst highway tragedies have campaigned for a national ban on 15-seat passenger vans.On Thursday, Hains will watch from the visitors' gallery of the House of Commons, to witness what she hopes is the first step in that process as her New Brunswick MP, NDP House whip Yvon Godin, introduces a private member's bill aimed at outlawing 15-seat vans for student travel.
Twelve- and 15-seat vans have been called "death traps" by U.S. consumer watchdog Safety Forum, and the U.S. has banned their sale for the purpose of transporting children. But they are still in use across Canada.
Hains' son, Daniel, and six other members of the Bathurst High School basketball team were killed, along with a teacher, when their 15-seat school van swerved on the Trans-Canada Highway and collided with a transport truck in northern New Brunswick in January 2008.
A subsequent coroner's inquest recommended the vans be banned across Canada for transporting students to school-based and after-school activities.
However, a Canwest News investigation last year revealed only Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have imposed a ban, and the vans remain in widespread use.
The vans contain none of the common safety features of cars or minivans, such as steel side plates, reinforced roofs or laminated windows, that protect passengers in a crash.
The vans also have a dangerously high centre of gravity and a propensity to fishtail at high speeds.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says they are more prone to rollover crashes than any other vehicle.
"Schools in this country are required by law to take children to school in yellow school buses, the safest vehicles on the road," says Hains. "But in the evenings and on weekends they're being transported in 15-passenger vehicles that don't have the same safety features.
"I don't understand why Parliament just doesn't go across the board and say, 'No one can use these vehicles.'"
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/introduce+bill+death+trap+vans/3070923/story.html#ixzz0p8Kytrab
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Feds 'negligent' for not warning about passenger vans: B.C. inspector
A British Columbia motor-vehicle inspector and mechanic is accusing Transport Canada of "negligence" for failing to educate the public — particularly the parents of schoolchildren — about the dangers of 15-passenger vans.
"Transport Canada has not issued any recommendations against using these vans. They're passing responsibility to the provinces and the school districts, and I think that's short-sighted thinking," said Bryan Murphy, a licensed vehicle inspector who works as a school bus mechanic and driver with School District 68 in Nanaimo, B.C.
"Transport Canada is negligent in not addressing this issue and bringing it to public attention."
Seven high school basketball students and a teacher were killed in 2008 when their 15-passenger van slammed into a transport truck in New Brunswick.
A coroner's inquest into the tragedy recommended that 15-passenger vans — called "death traps" by a U.S. consumer watchdog agency — be banned for student travel across Canada.
"I don't want to see more blood on our highways before people are finally made aware of the dangers of these vans, but it seems that's what it will take," said Murphy.
Murphy, who represents the Canadian Union of Public Employees on his school district's safety committee, said he has been asked by the union's B.C. leaders to begin a tour of the province, speaking to schools and parents about the threats posed by the vans.
A recent Canwest News Service investigation found that more than half of the school districts in B.C., and many others across Canada, use the vans to transport children to extracurricular events.
Because they were originally designed as cargo vehicles, 12-and-15-seat vans lack the passenger protections, such as reinforced steel frames and laminated side windows, common on many other vehicles, particularly school buses.
They also have a high centre of gravity and are more prone to rollovers than any other vehicle on the road, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .
In recent years NHTSA has issued numerous safety warnings about the vans, which are now banned for the transport of children in more than 30 U.S. states. The U.S. government also prohibits the sale of the vans to schools and daycares.
In Canada, however, only Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec outlaw the vans for school use.
Transport Canada says vehicle use is not a federal responsibility, but lies with the provinces. And while the department oversees the types of vehicles sold in Canada, it has not imposed any restrictions on 15-passenger van sales, or adopted a new Canadian Standards Association protocol for a safer minibus design that could replace 15-seat vans.
The department, whose senior officials have declined interview requests on the subject, also blames the New Brunswick van crash not on the vehicle type itself, but on driver error and slippery road conditions.
Murphy said a school bus driven by a professional driver would have better protected the victims of that accident. He said Transport Canada should take the lead in raising public awareness about the vans' documented dangers, and in pushing provinces and school boards to ban them.
High schools in Murphy's own school board still rent 15-passenger vans for transporting students to out-of-town sporting events. Murphy has pleaded with trustees in Nanaimo to ban the vans, but they said they didn't know how they would replace them.
"It's very difficult to carry out extracurricular activity without using those vans," said district Supt. Mike Munro. "We are looking at new vehicles, and we've asked staff to watch for those to become available. If they do, we'll be moving to that right away."
The B.C. government has advised its schools to use 15-passenger vans with special precautions, such as no overloading, no cargo on the roof, and being aware of road conditions and speed.
Murphy said that's not enough, and wonders why — nearly two years after the New Brunswick tragedy — governments in Canada aren't taking more action against 15-passenger vans.
"There needs to be far more awareness of this problem among the general public," he said. "Whether it's students, or daycare children, or even senior citizens riding in those vans, they're not the right vehicle for the job."
With files from Derek Spalding, Nanaimo Daily News
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Feds+negligent+warning+about+passenger+vans+inspector/2025023/story.html#ixzz0ozKGY4TL
Vancouver Sun: Grieving mom to witness MP's push to ban student transport in 15-seat passenger vans
For two years Isabelle Hains and other grieving parents, who lost their sons in one of Canada's worst highway tragedies, have campaigned for a national ban on 15-seat passenger vans.
On Thursday, Hains will watch from the visitors' gallery of the House of Commons, to witness what she hopes is the first step in that process as her New Brunswick MP, NDP House whip Yvon Godin, introduces a private member's bill aimed at outlawing 15-seat vans for student travel.
Twelve- and 15-seat vans have been called "death traps" by U.S. consumer watchdog Safety Forum, and the U.S. government has banned their sale for the purposes of transporting children. But the vans are still in widespread use across Canada by schools, daycares and youth programs.
Hains' son, Daniel, and six other members of the Bathurst High School basketball team were killed, along with a teacher, when their 15-seat school van swerved on the Trans-Canada Highway and collided with a transport truck in northern New Brunswick in January 2008.
A subsequent coroner's inquest recommended the vans be banned across Canada for transporting students to school-based and after-school activities.
However, a Canwest News Service investigation revealed last year that only three provinces — Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia — have enacted a ban, and that the vans remain in widespread use in dozens of city and rural school districts from Ontario to British Columbia.
In B.C., a 2008 government survey showed that 15-seat vans were in use at more than half the province's 60 school districts.
Fifteen-seat vans were originally designed as cargo vans, but were equipped with rows of seats in the 1970s. The vans contain none of the common safety features of cars or minivans — such as steel side plates, reinforced roofs or laminated windows — that protect passengers in a crash.
The vans also have a dangerously high centre of gravity and a propensity to fishtail at high speeds. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says they are more prone to rollover crashes than any other vehicle.
The U.S. government now prohibits their sale for the transport of children, and more than 30 states also ban their use by schools. In Canada, a similar series of accidents has led to few such restrictions.
"Schools in this country are required by law to take children to school in yellow school buses, the safest vehicles on the road," says Hains. "But in the evenings and on weekends they're being transported in 15-passenger vehicles that don't have the same safety features.
"I don't understand why Parliament just doesn't go across the board and say, 'No one can use these vehicles.'"
A Transport Canada report on the New Brunswick tragedy blamed the crash on bad winter weather, driver error, and the poor mechanical condition of the school van — not on the van design itself.
However, the coroner's inquest said the accident was triggered when the van's driver lost control of the vehicle after he tried to correct his steering, upon hitting the shoulder of the road. Loss of steering control is a common feature of 15-seat van accidents across North America.
Transport Canada has said restricting vehicle use is a provincial matter. But Hains says the federal government could take action by imposing rules on who can import the vans and who they can be sold to.
"Members of Parliament are mothers, are fathers, too," she says. "I hope they listen and do what's right to keep children safe, because our children can't speak up for themselves."
It's not clear whether the Harper government will support the private member's bill. Transport Minister John Baird did not respond to queries on the matter Tuesday.
Godin says he has told Hains and other New Brunswick parents that private member's bills are sometimes "long shots" at becoming law.
"All I can do is put the bill in the House, and then start my lobbying," he says. "I honestly hope the government supports it when they see my bill."
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Click here to read the original article
On Thursday, Hains will watch from the visitors' gallery of the House of Commons, to witness what she hopes is the first step in that process as her New Brunswick MP, NDP House whip Yvon Godin, introduces a private member's bill aimed at outlawing 15-seat vans for student travel.
Twelve- and 15-seat vans have been called "death traps" by U.S. consumer watchdog Safety Forum, and the U.S. government has banned their sale for the purposes of transporting children. But the vans are still in widespread use across Canada by schools, daycares and youth programs.
Hains' son, Daniel, and six other members of the Bathurst High School basketball team were killed, along with a teacher, when their 15-seat school van swerved on the Trans-Canada Highway and collided with a transport truck in northern New Brunswick in January 2008.
A subsequent coroner's inquest recommended the vans be banned across Canada for transporting students to school-based and after-school activities.
However, a Canwest News Service investigation revealed last year that only three provinces — Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia — have enacted a ban, and that the vans remain in widespread use in dozens of city and rural school districts from Ontario to British Columbia.
In B.C., a 2008 government survey showed that 15-seat vans were in use at more than half the province's 60 school districts.
Fifteen-seat vans were originally designed as cargo vans, but were equipped with rows of seats in the 1970s. The vans contain none of the common safety features of cars or minivans — such as steel side plates, reinforced roofs or laminated windows — that protect passengers in a crash.
The vans also have a dangerously high centre of gravity and a propensity to fishtail at high speeds. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says they are more prone to rollover crashes than any other vehicle.
The U.S. government now prohibits their sale for the transport of children, and more than 30 states also ban their use by schools. In Canada, a similar series of accidents has led to few such restrictions.
"Schools in this country are required by law to take children to school in yellow school buses, the safest vehicles on the road," says Hains. "But in the evenings and on weekends they're being transported in 15-passenger vehicles that don't have the same safety features.
"I don't understand why Parliament just doesn't go across the board and say, 'No one can use these vehicles.'"
A Transport Canada report on the New Brunswick tragedy blamed the crash on bad winter weather, driver error, and the poor mechanical condition of the school van — not on the van design itself.
However, the coroner's inquest said the accident was triggered when the van's driver lost control of the vehicle after he tried to correct his steering, upon hitting the shoulder of the road. Loss of steering control is a common feature of 15-seat van accidents across North America.
Transport Canada has said restricting vehicle use is a provincial matter. But Hains says the federal government could take action by imposing rules on who can import the vans and who they can be sold to.
"Members of Parliament are mothers, are fathers, too," she says. "I hope they listen and do what's right to keep children safe, because our children can't speak up for themselves."
It's not clear whether the Harper government will support the private member's bill. Transport Minister John Baird did not respond to queries on the matter Tuesday.
Godin says he has told Hains and other New Brunswick parents that private member's bills are sometimes "long shots" at becoming law.
"All I can do is put the bill in the House, and then start my lobbying," he says. "I honestly hope the government supports it when they see my bill."
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Click here to read the original article
In 2002 the state of Virginia phased out 15 passenger vans: Where is Canada???
Click here to read the original article
From: Yoke San Reynolds, Vice President for Finance
Subject: Phasing Out the Use of 15-Passenger Vans
In response to the safety concerns outlined below, the attached Policy on Phasing Out the Use of 15-Passenger Vans has been adopted, effective immediately. For assistance in chartering buses or renting alternatives to 15-passenger vans, please contact Ana Lynch in Procurement Services at 924-4219 or aml8q@virginia.edu.
Concerns regarding the use of 15-passenger vans:
State's Division of Risk Management has issued an advisory indicating that there are serious safety issues regarding the use of 15-passenger vans. It refers to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's warning entitled The Rollover Propensity of Fifteen-Passenger Vans. Based on the SSF (Static Stability Factor), a 15-passenger van with a driver is 21% less stable than a passenger car with a driver.
NHTSA's analysis revealed that loading the 15-passenger van causes the center of gravity to shift rearward and upward, increasing the likelihood of rollovers. Based on crash data, when the van was loaded with ten or more occupants it was almost three times as likely to rollover as compared with less than 10 occupants, with five to nine occupants it was almost two times as likely to rollover as compared with less than 5 occupants. It was inherently unstable when maneuvering to avoid an accident or taking sharp turns, particularly in poor weather conditions when measured at 15-occupant loading.
During the past several years there have been serious accidents, some involving fatalities, when these vans have been used to transport students. In fact, these vans do not meet federal school bus safety standards and are no longer being used by the local school districts to transport students.
The standard design of the 15-passenger van does not meet the normal reinforcement requirements of passenger cars or school buses in the area behind the drivers seat.
POLICY ON PHASING OUT THE USE OF 15-PASSENGER VANS
Effective 03/12/02
1) High School and younger students must not be transported in 12 and 15-passenger vans, or other specialty vehicles not meeting school bus standards.
2) 15-passenger vans may not be purchased or rented, effective immediately.
3) On 07/01/04 the use of currently owned 15-passenger vans for passenger transportation use is no longer permitted.
4) Currently owned 15-passenger vans may be used for transporting passengers until 07/01/04. Strict adherence to the following Best Practices is required until their use is eliminated.
Best Practices
1. Restrictions on van usage:
a. Out of town travel is prohibited.
b. Drivers may not drive between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. without special permission from the Dean or Department Head.
c. Drivers must obey all traffic regulations, not exceeding posted speed limits, and never to exceed 50 mph at any time.
2. Allow only trained, certified, and authorized drivers to operate vehicles.
a. Students who are not employees must not operate 15-passenger vans or trucks.
b. Minimum age of driver must be 21 unless the driver has a CDL or EVOC Certification. Every driver must possess a valid driver's license.
c. Driver must have a minimum of two years driving experience.
d. A driver's transcript will reveal no more than one moving violation within the last 12 months, and the driver will be required to verify this. Human Resources will perform a driver's transcript check by request.
e. There must be no violations or traffic stops related to alcohol or drugs.
f. Successful completion of the University's 15-Passenger Van training program and road test, provided by Parking & Transportation, within the past two years.
3. Drivers are responsible for limiting occupants and cargo weight, inspecting the vehicle prior to leaving the parking site and monitoring the vehicle for proper operation.
a. The last two rows of seats must be removed, and occupants must be limited to 8. You must further reduce occupants by 1 for every 150 lbs of cargo.
b. Any defects must be noted and must be corrected prior to departure.
c. Weather conditions must be evaluated and travel must be curtailed when conditions are hazardous. (This includes but is not limited to fog, heavy rain, snow, ice, high winds, ... etc.)
d. All equipment and luggage carried must be secured in a safe manner.
e. Trailers and roof-mounted loads are prohibited. Vehicles must not be overloaded.
f. Tires should be properly inflated based on the load carried.
g. A cell phone, charged battery and a battery charger must be provided for each vehicle/trip. Drivers must not use a cell-phone while driving.
h. Vehicle headlights must be on when driving.
i. Drivers must not drive a vehicle that is not operating properly.
From: Yoke San Reynolds, Vice President for Finance
Subject: Phasing Out the Use of 15-Passenger Vans
In response to the safety concerns outlined below, the attached Policy on Phasing Out the Use of 15-Passenger Vans has been adopted, effective immediately. For assistance in chartering buses or renting alternatives to 15-passenger vans, please contact Ana Lynch in Procurement Services at 924-4219 or aml8q@virginia.edu.
Concerns regarding the use of 15-passenger vans:
State's Division of Risk Management has issued an advisory indicating that there are serious safety issues regarding the use of 15-passenger vans. It refers to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's warning entitled The Rollover Propensity of Fifteen-Passenger Vans. Based on the SSF (Static Stability Factor), a 15-passenger van with a driver is 21% less stable than a passenger car with a driver.
NHTSA's analysis revealed that loading the 15-passenger van causes the center of gravity to shift rearward and upward, increasing the likelihood of rollovers. Based on crash data, when the van was loaded with ten or more occupants it was almost three times as likely to rollover as compared with less than 10 occupants, with five to nine occupants it was almost two times as likely to rollover as compared with less than 5 occupants. It was inherently unstable when maneuvering to avoid an accident or taking sharp turns, particularly in poor weather conditions when measured at 15-occupant loading.
During the past several years there have been serious accidents, some involving fatalities, when these vans have been used to transport students. In fact, these vans do not meet federal school bus safety standards and are no longer being used by the local school districts to transport students.
The standard design of the 15-passenger van does not meet the normal reinforcement requirements of passenger cars or school buses in the area behind the drivers seat.
POLICY ON PHASING OUT THE USE OF 15-PASSENGER VANS
Effective 03/12/02
1) High School and younger students must not be transported in 12 and 15-passenger vans, or other specialty vehicles not meeting school bus standards.
2) 15-passenger vans may not be purchased or rented, effective immediately.
3) On 07/01/04 the use of currently owned 15-passenger vans for passenger transportation use is no longer permitted.
4) Currently owned 15-passenger vans may be used for transporting passengers until 07/01/04. Strict adherence to the following Best Practices is required until their use is eliminated.
Best Practices
1. Restrictions on van usage:
a. Out of town travel is prohibited.
b. Drivers may not drive between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. without special permission from the Dean or Department Head.
c. Drivers must obey all traffic regulations, not exceeding posted speed limits, and never to exceed 50 mph at any time.
2. Allow only trained, certified, and authorized drivers to operate vehicles.
a. Students who are not employees must not operate 15-passenger vans or trucks.
b. Minimum age of driver must be 21 unless the driver has a CDL or EVOC Certification. Every driver must possess a valid driver's license.
c. Driver must have a minimum of two years driving experience.
d. A driver's transcript will reveal no more than one moving violation within the last 12 months, and the driver will be required to verify this. Human Resources will perform a driver's transcript check by request.
e. There must be no violations or traffic stops related to alcohol or drugs.
f. Successful completion of the University's 15-Passenger Van training program and road test, provided by Parking & Transportation, within the past two years.
3. Drivers are responsible for limiting occupants and cargo weight, inspecting the vehicle prior to leaving the parking site and monitoring the vehicle for proper operation.
a. The last two rows of seats must be removed, and occupants must be limited to 8. You must further reduce occupants by 1 for every 150 lbs of cargo.
b. Any defects must be noted and must be corrected prior to departure.
c. Weather conditions must be evaluated and travel must be curtailed when conditions are hazardous. (This includes but is not limited to fog, heavy rain, snow, ice, high winds, ... etc.)
d. All equipment and luggage carried must be secured in a safe manner.
e. Trailers and roof-mounted loads are prohibited. Vehicles must not be overloaded.
f. Tires should be properly inflated based on the load carried.
g. A cell phone, charged battery and a battery charger must be provided for each vehicle/trip. Drivers must not use a cell-phone while driving.
h. Vehicle headlights must be on when driving.
i. Drivers must not drive a vehicle that is not operating properly.
Canadian Standards Association unveils new standard for vehicles used to transport children for school-related events and activities
On August 13, 2008, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) announced the publication of a new CSA standard on Multi Function Activity Buses (also known as Multi Function Activity Vehicles (MFAVs). Click here to read the announcement.
The publication of the new standard essentially created a NEW CLASS OF VEHICLE which would be safer alternative to 15 passenger vans for which it notes there are currently "no Canadian Federal regulations (for 15 passenger vans) that can carry 11 or more persons and are sold for the purpose of transporting students to or from school or school related events. Following more than a thousand accidents in 10 years, American federal requirements now regulate that such vehicles are required to meet the same federal standards as school buses."
We point out that the proposed new safety standard is VOLUNTARY, which means that it cannot be enforced unless a law is passed forcing the provinces to ensure that children are not transported to school related activities in these vehicles. This is what we are trying to do with Yvon Godin's Private Members Bill. Below is the article as it appeared on the CSA website in August 2008.
_________
Toronto, ON, August 13, 2008 - Canadian Standards Association (CSA), a leading developer of standards and codes, today officially announced the publication of the new CSA D270 Multi-functional activity buses (MFAB) standard. This is the first Canadian standard developed to provide voluntary requirements for the new proposed class of vehicle. MFABs are intended to be used as a safer alternative to vehicles not classified as a school bus but which are still used to transport groups of school-aged passengers to sporting events, community activities or other such educational or childcare facilities and outings.
"CSA has extensive expertise in developing national standards for school buses," says John Walter, Vice President, Standards Development, CSA. "We have applied that same expertise to the new multi-functional activity bus standard. The intent was to develop a standard for a type of vehicle that is not classified as a school bus but that is still used to occasionally transport students to events and activities and therefore should be built to very similar standards for safety and construction."
Construction standards such as joint strength, crashworthiness, rollover protection, emergency exits, compartmentalization, and numerous safety features which are designed to make the school bus one of the safest vehicles are part of the requirements for the MFAB standard. The new standard does not include requirements for traffic and pedestrian controls devices such as warning lamps or stop arms as these buses are not to be used for roadside pick-up and drop-off of passengers.
The CSA D270 Multi-functional activity buses standard was initially proposed in 2006 as members of the CSA Technical Committee (TC) responsible for school buses standards began seeing non-conforming vehicles, or those not classified or tested to school bus standards, being increasingly used for the transportation of students for school related activities in Canada. Currently there are no Canadian Federal regulations pertaining specifically to new non-conforming vehicles that can carry 11 or more persons and are sold for the purpose of transporting students to or from school or school related events. Following more than a thousand accidents in 10 years, American federal requirements now regulate that such vehicles are required to meet the same federal standards as school buses.
It will be at the discretion of provincial governments to determine if they will adopt the new standard in whole or in part and how they would enforce the requirements. It will be up to interested manufacturers to generate sufficient test data to support a self-declaration that their vehicles meet the CSA D270-08 Multi-functional activity buses standard. The vehicles could then be subject to inspection by regulators that recognize the MFAB class of vehicle to ensure they comply with any relevant legislation.
CSA school bus and MFAB standards alone cannot prevent accidents and they are not substitutes for thorough, ongoing, and comprehensive safety training of drivers and monitoring of passengers. Road conditions, weather, vehicle maintenance, traffic laws, speed, driver fatigue and health, and other risk factors must also be taken into account when operating any vehicle.
About CSA
Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is a membership association serving industry, government, consumers and other interested parties in Canada and the global marketplace. As a leading solutions-based standards organization, providing standards and codes development, application products, training and advisory services, CSA aims to enhance public safety, improve quality of life, preserve the environment and facilitate trade. The Canadian Standards Association is a division of CSA Group, which also consists of CSA International, which provides testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products; and OnSpeX, a provider of consumer product evaluation, inspection and advisory services for retailers and manufacturers. For more information visit www.csa.ca
Contact:
Anthony Toderian
Senior Media Relations Officer
CSA Group
T: 416-747-2620
E: anthony.toderian@csagroup.org
The publication of the new standard essentially created a NEW CLASS OF VEHICLE which would be safer alternative to 15 passenger vans for which it notes there are currently "no Canadian Federal regulations (for 15 passenger vans) that can carry 11 or more persons and are sold for the purpose of transporting students to or from school or school related events. Following more than a thousand accidents in 10 years, American federal requirements now regulate that such vehicles are required to meet the same federal standards as school buses."
We point out that the proposed new safety standard is VOLUNTARY, which means that it cannot be enforced unless a law is passed forcing the provinces to ensure that children are not transported to school related activities in these vehicles. This is what we are trying to do with Yvon Godin's Private Members Bill. Below is the article as it appeared on the CSA website in August 2008.
_________
Toronto, ON, August 13, 2008 - Canadian Standards Association (CSA), a leading developer of standards and codes, today officially announced the publication of the new CSA D270 Multi-functional activity buses (MFAB) standard. This is the first Canadian standard developed to provide voluntary requirements for the new proposed class of vehicle. MFABs are intended to be used as a safer alternative to vehicles not classified as a school bus but which are still used to transport groups of school-aged passengers to sporting events, community activities or other such educational or childcare facilities and outings.
"CSA has extensive expertise in developing national standards for school buses," says John Walter, Vice President, Standards Development, CSA. "We have applied that same expertise to the new multi-functional activity bus standard. The intent was to develop a standard for a type of vehicle that is not classified as a school bus but that is still used to occasionally transport students to events and activities and therefore should be built to very similar standards for safety and construction."
Construction standards such as joint strength, crashworthiness, rollover protection, emergency exits, compartmentalization, and numerous safety features which are designed to make the school bus one of the safest vehicles are part of the requirements for the MFAB standard. The new standard does not include requirements for traffic and pedestrian controls devices such as warning lamps or stop arms as these buses are not to be used for roadside pick-up and drop-off of passengers.
The CSA D270 Multi-functional activity buses standard was initially proposed in 2006 as members of the CSA Technical Committee (TC) responsible for school buses standards began seeing non-conforming vehicles, or those not classified or tested to school bus standards, being increasingly used for the transportation of students for school related activities in Canada. Currently there are no Canadian Federal regulations pertaining specifically to new non-conforming vehicles that can carry 11 or more persons and are sold for the purpose of transporting students to or from school or school related events. Following more than a thousand accidents in 10 years, American federal requirements now regulate that such vehicles are required to meet the same federal standards as school buses.
It will be at the discretion of provincial governments to determine if they will adopt the new standard in whole or in part and how they would enforce the requirements. It will be up to interested manufacturers to generate sufficient test data to support a self-declaration that their vehicles meet the CSA D270-08 Multi-functional activity buses standard. The vehicles could then be subject to inspection by regulators that recognize the MFAB class of vehicle to ensure they comply with any relevant legislation.
CSA school bus and MFAB standards alone cannot prevent accidents and they are not substitutes for thorough, ongoing, and comprehensive safety training of drivers and monitoring of passengers. Road conditions, weather, vehicle maintenance, traffic laws, speed, driver fatigue and health, and other risk factors must also be taken into account when operating any vehicle.
About CSA
Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is a membership association serving industry, government, consumers and other interested parties in Canada and the global marketplace. As a leading solutions-based standards organization, providing standards and codes development, application products, training and advisory services, CSA aims to enhance public safety, improve quality of life, preserve the environment and facilitate trade. The Canadian Standards Association is a division of CSA Group, which also consists of CSA International, which provides testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products; and OnSpeX, a provider of consumer product evaluation, inspection and advisory services for retailers and manufacturers. For more information visit www.csa.ca
Contact:
Anthony Toderian
Senior Media Relations Officer
CSA Group
T: 416-747-2620
E: anthony.toderian@csagroup.org
CUPE 1253 Resolution to put school bus drivers behind the wheels of 21 passenger MFAVs
On May 6, 2010, CUPE 1253 passed an emergency resolution to lobby the provincial government to put professional bus drivers behind the wheel of 21 passenger MFAVs.
__________
Resolution
Use of qualified drivers on extra-curricular trips
Submitted by the Executive Committee
THAT CUPE NB will lobby the Provincial Government, and especially the Departments of Education and Finance, to fund extra-curricular trips in public schools, and put professional school bus drivers behind the wheel, and not recruit teachers and parents to volunteer their time. They should also provide school buses or multi-function vehicles instead of forcing schools to fundraise for vans and other vehicles,
BECAUSE the driver of the 15-passenger van involved in the Bathurst highway accident which led to the tragic deaths of students on a basketball trip was a volunteer who did not hold a Class 2B licence.
BECAUSE the jury of the Coroner’s Inquest into the tragedy recommended that all extra-curricular trips should be driven by paid drivers holding a Class 2B licence that school bus drivers are required to have.
BECAUSE driving extra-curricular trips is our work.
BECAUSE extra-curricular activities are an important part of education and students deserve them.
BECAUSE the lives, safety and security of our children and youth are important to us.
__________
Resolution
Use of qualified drivers on extra-curricular trips
Submitted by the Executive Committee
THAT CUPE NB will lobby the Provincial Government, and especially the Departments of Education and Finance, to fund extra-curricular trips in public schools, and put professional school bus drivers behind the wheel, and not recruit teachers and parents to volunteer their time. They should also provide school buses or multi-function vehicles instead of forcing schools to fundraise for vans and other vehicles,
BECAUSE the driver of the 15-passenger van involved in the Bathurst highway accident which led to the tragic deaths of students on a basketball trip was a volunteer who did not hold a Class 2B licence.
BECAUSE the jury of the Coroner’s Inquest into the tragedy recommended that all extra-curricular trips should be driven by paid drivers holding a Class 2B licence that school bus drivers are required to have.
BECAUSE driving extra-curricular trips is our work.
BECAUSE extra-curricular activities are an important part of education and students deserve them.
BECAUSE the lives, safety and security of our children and youth are important to us.
Transport Canada: 15 passenger van FAQ sheet
In July 2008, seven months after our sons were killed, Transport Canada released a 15 passenger van Fact Sheet TP 2436E in which it noted that the responsibility for deciding whether or not to use 15 passenger vans or 21 passenger MFAVs / MFABs rests in the hands of the provinces and territories.
Click here to read original FAQ sheet
Federal and provincial/territorial government responsibilities
Know government roles in large passenger van safety
•The federal government (Transport Canada) sets and enforces the safety standards required for new and imported vehicles. For example, seat belts are required in vehicles.
•The provincial/territorial governments' highway traffic acts regulate vehicle drivers and vehicle use. For example they regulate:
◦Driver licenses;
◦Vehicle-loading;
◦Winter tire use; and
◦Seat belt and child seat use.
School Transportation:
The provinces/territories and local school boards choose the means and type of transportation for school children that best suits their needs.
The Canadian Standards Association has written a technical standard for a Multi-Functional Activity Bus (MFAB), referred to as D-270, which it approved in April 2008. A MFAB would be similar to a school bus, but without the traffic warning devices required for school buses since MFABs would not be designed for roadside pickup of children.
Provinces and territories will decide if they want to use the CSA technical standard for MFABs for transporting school children to extracurricular activities.
Investigations
United States
In 2001, the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a warning that these vans had a higher chance of rolling over when they were fully loaded. Learn more at: www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/15PassVans/15PassCustomerAdvisory.htm
In 2008, NHTSA issued a research note stating that deaths in large passenger vans have been declining since 2001, but could not explain this trend. Learn more at: www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810947.PDF
Canada
In 2001, Transport Canada studied heavily loaded large passenger van rollover collisions in Canada. They found that over a two-year period in Ontario, only one heavily loaded van rolled over and luckily, no one was killed. One incident was not enough to issue a warning similar to the United States.
Transport Canada also conducts many on-the-scene collision investigations every year. They help determine if Canadian vehicle safety standards require change.
Transporting children
Make sure that everyone in your van is properly belted
Younger children should be using child seats or booster seats.
Find the FAQs on child seats at: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm to learn what kind of child seat you should use, when a child can use a regular seat belt – and more.
Know where to learn about transporting children, or children with disabilities in your van
Transport Canada cannot restrict vehicle use. Some provinces/territories and school boards do not allow the use of large passenger vans for school functions. Please contact your provincial/territorial transportation office or local school board for more details.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
There are many benefits to Electronic Stability Control (ESC). ESC systems can improve handling and help to prevent loss of control. ESC has been proven to reduce the number of single vehicle collisions and rollovers.
Learn about ESC
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is safety technology that helps drivers avoid crashes by reducing the likelihood of skidding.
To learn more about ESC please visit: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp14651/vs200701/menu.htm
Know if your van has ESC
ESC has been standard equipment on new large passenger vans since about 2005. For other model years, check your owner's manual, or contact your local dealership. If your van does not have ESC, it cannot be retrofitted. But when you buy your next van, make sure it is equipped with ESC.
Tires
Pay attention to your tires. The traction between the road surface and your tires is the most important factor in safe vehicle control.
Know the tire pressure you should use
Each vehicle on the road has its own required tire pressure. In fact, the front and rear tire pressures may not need to be the same. Your van's tire pressures can be found:
•In your owner's manual;
•On the tire information label located on the driver's door;
•Inside the driver's door frame; or
•Inside the glove compartment door
To see a sample tire information label, visit: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp2823/inflating.htm
Know which tires to use on your van
Since large vans are heavy, they require stronger tires to support the weight. Look in your owner's manual, or tire information label to find the best tire type for your van.
Learn more about tires at: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp2823/intro.htm.
Use winter tires
Transport Canada recommends having four winter tires for driving in cold, snowy or icy conditions. They provide better traction than all-season tires because they:
•Are made of softer rubber; and
•Have more grooves.
You can learn more about winter tires and watch videos that compare the traction of winter and all-season tires at: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/safevehicles/safetyfeatures/wintertires/index.htm
Loading a large passenger van
Loading a van changes how it handles. That is why it is important to follow the loading instructions in the owner's manual.
Know how much weight your van can carry
The easiest way to know how much weight your van is designed to carry is to:
a.Find the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) on the driver's door post or in your owner's manual;
b.Find the weight of the empty van (net weight) in your owner's manual; then
c.Take a and subtract b. This will tell you how much weight you can add (people, fuel and cargo).
If you can't find your owner's manual, get a new one from your local dealer.
Driving a large passenger van
As with any vehicle, respect the posted speed limit, slow down when the weather and/or road conditions are poor, slow down before entering sharp curves, don't tailgate and give yourself enough room in front of you to react to sudden events such as animals or vehicles entering your lane. Take extra care when you drive on rural roads because of on-coming and passing traffic.
Large vans don't handle like cars
Since these vans are much larger and heavier than cars, be aware that they require more space when changing lanes and a longer stopping distance.
Getting off the shoulder of the road
If your tires go onto the shoulder when you drive, slow down and gently steer back on the road when it is safe to do so. Never "jerk" the steering wheel to return to the road, especially at high speeds. If you cannot return to the road due to traffic, slow to a stop.
Click here to read original FAQ sheet
Federal and provincial/territorial government responsibilities
Know government roles in large passenger van safety
•The federal government (Transport Canada) sets and enforces the safety standards required for new and imported vehicles. For example, seat belts are required in vehicles.
•The provincial/territorial governments' highway traffic acts regulate vehicle drivers and vehicle use. For example they regulate:
◦Driver licenses;
◦Vehicle-loading;
◦Winter tire use; and
◦Seat belt and child seat use.
School Transportation:
The provinces/territories and local school boards choose the means and type of transportation for school children that best suits their needs.
The Canadian Standards Association has written a technical standard for a Multi-Functional Activity Bus (MFAB), referred to as D-270, which it approved in April 2008. A MFAB would be similar to a school bus, but without the traffic warning devices required for school buses since MFABs would not be designed for roadside pickup of children.
Provinces and territories will decide if they want to use the CSA technical standard for MFABs for transporting school children to extracurricular activities.
Investigations
United States
In 2001, the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a warning that these vans had a higher chance of rolling over when they were fully loaded. Learn more at: www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/15PassVans/15PassCustomerAdvisory.htm
In 2008, NHTSA issued a research note stating that deaths in large passenger vans have been declining since 2001, but could not explain this trend. Learn more at: www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810947.PDF
Canada
In 2001, Transport Canada studied heavily loaded large passenger van rollover collisions in Canada. They found that over a two-year period in Ontario, only one heavily loaded van rolled over and luckily, no one was killed. One incident was not enough to issue a warning similar to the United States.
Transport Canada also conducts many on-the-scene collision investigations every year. They help determine if Canadian vehicle safety standards require change.
Transporting children
Make sure that everyone in your van is properly belted
Younger children should be using child seats or booster seats.
Find the FAQs on child seats at: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm to learn what kind of child seat you should use, when a child can use a regular seat belt – and more.
Know where to learn about transporting children, or children with disabilities in your van
Transport Canada cannot restrict vehicle use. Some provinces/territories and school boards do not allow the use of large passenger vans for school functions. Please contact your provincial/territorial transportation office or local school board for more details.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
There are many benefits to Electronic Stability Control (ESC). ESC systems can improve handling and help to prevent loss of control. ESC has been proven to reduce the number of single vehicle collisions and rollovers.
Learn about ESC
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is safety technology that helps drivers avoid crashes by reducing the likelihood of skidding.
To learn more about ESC please visit: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp14651/vs200701/menu.htm
Know if your van has ESC
ESC has been standard equipment on new large passenger vans since about 2005. For other model years, check your owner's manual, or contact your local dealership. If your van does not have ESC, it cannot be retrofitted. But when you buy your next van, make sure it is equipped with ESC.
Tires
Pay attention to your tires. The traction between the road surface and your tires is the most important factor in safe vehicle control.
Know the tire pressure you should use
Each vehicle on the road has its own required tire pressure. In fact, the front and rear tire pressures may not need to be the same. Your van's tire pressures can be found:
•In your owner's manual;
•On the tire information label located on the driver's door;
•Inside the driver's door frame; or
•Inside the glove compartment door
To see a sample tire information label, visit: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp2823/inflating.htm
Know which tires to use on your van
Since large vans are heavy, they require stronger tires to support the weight. Look in your owner's manual, or tire information label to find the best tire type for your van.
Learn more about tires at: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp2823/intro.htm.
Use winter tires
Transport Canada recommends having four winter tires for driving in cold, snowy or icy conditions. They provide better traction than all-season tires because they:
•Are made of softer rubber; and
•Have more grooves.
You can learn more about winter tires and watch videos that compare the traction of winter and all-season tires at: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/safevehicles/safetyfeatures/wintertires/index.htm
Loading a large passenger van
Loading a van changes how it handles. That is why it is important to follow the loading instructions in the owner's manual.
Know how much weight your van can carry
The easiest way to know how much weight your van is designed to carry is to:
a.Find the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) on the driver's door post or in your owner's manual;
b.Find the weight of the empty van (net weight) in your owner's manual; then
c.Take a and subtract b. This will tell you how much weight you can add (people, fuel and cargo).
If you can't find your owner's manual, get a new one from your local dealer.
Driving a large passenger van
As with any vehicle, respect the posted speed limit, slow down when the weather and/or road conditions are poor, slow down before entering sharp curves, don't tailgate and give yourself enough room in front of you to react to sudden events such as animals or vehicles entering your lane. Take extra care when you drive on rural roads because of on-coming and passing traffic.
Large vans don't handle like cars
Since these vans are much larger and heavier than cars, be aware that they require more space when changing lanes and a longer stopping distance.
Getting off the shoulder of the road
If your tires go onto the shoulder when you drive, slow down and gently steer back on the road when it is safe to do so. Never "jerk" the steering wheel to return to the road, especially at high speeds. If you cannot return to the road due to traffic, slow to a stop.
Marketing Death: 15 passenger vans presented as cheap and economical
Click here to read the original article on SafetyForum
Because they are inexpensive compared to school buses, vans have grown popular for transporting children, the elderly, sports teams and other groups. All three manufacturers of 15-seat vans marketed their vehicles for just such use. DaimlerChrysler stated that its van “can hold more than your daughter’s closet and carry as many as 15 happy campers.” General Motors has portrayed its van surrounded by a young ball team.
By 1999, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was calling attention to what it termed “a disturbing trend in pupil transportation,” warning that school districts, day care centers, Head Start programs, contract transportation companies and others were hauling children in vans that “meet the federal definition of a bus but not the federal occupant crash protection standards of school buses.” (See below.)
A Few Among Many
• Birmingham, Alabama, July 20, 2002: Two college cheerleaders were killed and others injured when a Ford 15-passenger van overturned after its left rear tire lost its tread. The victims were all members of the North Carolina-based Christian Cheerleaders of America.
• Marianna, Florida, September 24, 2001: On State Road 8, the right rear tire separated on a 1990 Dodge 3500 van, causing the driver to lose control and the van to roll over. There were 10 Florida Baptist College students in the van, of which three were ejected and killed. The vehicle has severe steering and handling problems which have been well known to DaimlerChrysler. In addition, it possesses serious roll and lateral instability defects as a result of the addition of 10 or more passengers which causes the center of mass (or center of gravity) of the vehicle to move rearward and upward, with substantially more than one-half of vehicle's weight on the rear axle. (Hoffman v. DaimlerChrysler)
• Wichita Falls, Texas, May 2001: A 1993 Dodge Ram 3500 15-passenger van owned by the First Assembly of God Church of Burkburnett, Texas, was taking 12 women to an outlet mall when a tire lost its tread and the van overturned. The driver and three passengers were killed; eight others were severely injured. The case was the first to reach court since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warned consumers in April 2001 about the vans’ unsafe design (see below). The tire-maker, Michelin, asked the court to prohibit jurors from taking notes and to bar spectators while witnesses testified about some of its documents. Although Michelin dropped that motion, secrecy prevailed: details of the settlement were sealed and never made public.
• Arizona, Summer 2000: One student and the teacher-driver were killed when a 2000 Dodge van carrying 10 students from Chaminade High School on Long Island, on a tour of national historic sites, veered off a two-lane highway near the Grand Canyon and overturned. Police said the driver had “over-corrected” when the van left the pavement.
• Texas, February 2000: Four members of Prairie View A&M University’s track team were killed and seven injured when their van overturned en route to a meet. Much the same happened to a Wisconsin-Oshkosh swim team, the DePaul University women’s track team, and the Kenyon College swim team.
• East Dublin, Georgia, December 8, 1998: A 1995 Ford van carrying five 4- and 5-year-olds and one adult to a Head Start program reportedly ran a stop sign and crashed into a pickup truck. One 4-year-old was ejected and fatally injured. The van and truck both overturned. Eight van windows shattered.
• Bennettsville, South Carolina, February 16, 1998: A 1996 Dodge van carrying six children home from a church-run after-school program was hit by a tow truck after the van ran a stop sign, according to a witness. All six children, ages 7-11, were killed. Three were ejected from the van.
• Columbia, South Carolina, 1994: Jacob Strebler, 6, was killed on his way to swimming classes in a private school van hit by a truck. Experts determined he would not have been killed and may even have escaped serious injury had he been in a school bus that met federal safety standards. Too late to save his life, the state enacted a law in his name to prevent such deaths (see below).
The More, the Deadlier
As the death toll mounted, NHTSA analyzed 1,957 crashes that involved 15-passenger vans and discovered that the more passengers the van was carrying, the more likely it was to overturn:
• When fewer than five passengers were on board, 12.3 percent (224 of 1,815 crashes) of the vans overturned, about the same rate as that for light trucks.
• When carrying five to nine passengers, however, vans overturned 20.8 percent of the time (16 of 77 crashes).
• With 10-15 passengers aboard, the vans rolled over 29.1 percent of the time (16 of 55 crashes).
• And when carrying more than 15 passengers, they rolled over in crashes an astonishing 70 percent of the time (7 of 10).
Overall, the vans were three times more likely to roll over in a crash when loaded with 10 or more passengers than when they carried fewer than five.
Why the Carnage?
A major problem is that the 15-passenger van has a high center of gravity. That center shifts even higher and rearward as more occupants board. The rearward shift gives the van a propensity to “fishtail” and the upward shift increases its likelihood of overturning. The combination of lateral slide of the rear tires – fishtailing – and the “top-heavy” design compound the risk of rollover. Dangerous stability problems, not noticeable to average drivers, become all too apparent in emergency steering situations, such as swerving to avoid an obstacle or a sudden tire failure at highway speed. A van that is fishtailing is out of control. The more heavily loaded the van, the greater the gravity shift and the more likely it is to overturn, with tragic consequences.
Once the van does overturn, its occupants are exposed to even greater hazards than those of most vehicles:
• A lack of structural integrity that could protect the passenger compartment from collapse or intrusion.
• Inadequate crash padding that could protect passengers from being thrown against hard surfaces.
• Lack of laminated side windows that might “cushion” someone thrown against them rather than shatter and permit ejection.
• Lack of emergency exits and traffic-control safety features standard on regular school buses.
Such shortcomings make the 15-passenger van literally a death trap on wheels, a trap merely awaiting an opportunity to spring on unwary passengers and driver.
A History of Avoidance
How did a passenger vehicle marketed to carry groups of children, the elderly and other vulnerable populations become such an open threat to their lives? The answers are rooted in the vans’ history.
In the early 1970s, first Dodge, then Ford sought to accommodate emerging demand for a vehicle that could carry small groups of passengers. Instead of creating a new vehicle, they chose to modify existing cargo vans simply by making the body longer and installing seats for 15 passengers, without lengthening the wheel base. (Dodge ceased manufacturing its 15-passenger vans in June 2002, but many remain on the road.)
Ford chose to ignore its own engineers’ recommendations. Records show engineers recognized early the need to extend the wheel base and add dual rear wheels to prevent fishtailing. Videotaped tests demonstrate that using dual rear wheels would significantly reduce side sway and the tendency to “slide out.” It would also provide redundancy if a tire fails. The engineers’ recommendations were rejected because of the projected costs – an estimated $315 per vehicle – and production delays. As a result, the Ford E-350 SCW, which now controls most of the market, has remained essentially unchanged since 1979.
General Motors entered the 15-passenger market late, around 1990, by expanding its 12-passenger van to 15 passengers. Although GM did lengthen the vehicle’s wheel base, it did not bother to conduct any “side pull” tests on the vans, despite having performed such tests on other vehicles since the 1960s and despite advising NHTSA in 1973 that the tests were the “best approach to determine rollover resistance.” In fact, GM has known since the early 1980s that vans experience more rollovers and more occupant ejections in crashes, yet the auto maker has conducted no stability test of any kind on its 15-passenger GMC van. ...Click here to read the full article on SafetyForum
Because they are inexpensive compared to school buses, vans have grown popular for transporting children, the elderly, sports teams and other groups. All three manufacturers of 15-seat vans marketed their vehicles for just such use. DaimlerChrysler stated that its van “can hold more than your daughter’s closet and carry as many as 15 happy campers.” General Motors has portrayed its van surrounded by a young ball team.
By 1999, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was calling attention to what it termed “a disturbing trend in pupil transportation,” warning that school districts, day care centers, Head Start programs, contract transportation companies and others were hauling children in vans that “meet the federal definition of a bus but not the federal occupant crash protection standards of school buses.” (See below.)
A Few Among Many
• Birmingham, Alabama, July 20, 2002: Two college cheerleaders were killed and others injured when a Ford 15-passenger van overturned after its left rear tire lost its tread. The victims were all members of the North Carolina-based Christian Cheerleaders of America.
• Marianna, Florida, September 24, 2001: On State Road 8, the right rear tire separated on a 1990 Dodge 3500 van, causing the driver to lose control and the van to roll over. There were 10 Florida Baptist College students in the van, of which three were ejected and killed. The vehicle has severe steering and handling problems which have been well known to DaimlerChrysler. In addition, it possesses serious roll and lateral instability defects as a result of the addition of 10 or more passengers which causes the center of mass (or center of gravity) of the vehicle to move rearward and upward, with substantially more than one-half of vehicle's weight on the rear axle. (Hoffman v. DaimlerChrysler)
• Wichita Falls, Texas, May 2001: A 1993 Dodge Ram 3500 15-passenger van owned by the First Assembly of God Church of Burkburnett, Texas, was taking 12 women to an outlet mall when a tire lost its tread and the van overturned. The driver and three passengers were killed; eight others were severely injured. The case was the first to reach court since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warned consumers in April 2001 about the vans’ unsafe design (see below). The tire-maker, Michelin, asked the court to prohibit jurors from taking notes and to bar spectators while witnesses testified about some of its documents. Although Michelin dropped that motion, secrecy prevailed: details of the settlement were sealed and never made public.
• Arizona, Summer 2000: One student and the teacher-driver were killed when a 2000 Dodge van carrying 10 students from Chaminade High School on Long Island, on a tour of national historic sites, veered off a two-lane highway near the Grand Canyon and overturned. Police said the driver had “over-corrected” when the van left the pavement.
• Texas, February 2000: Four members of Prairie View A&M University’s track team were killed and seven injured when their van overturned en route to a meet. Much the same happened to a Wisconsin-Oshkosh swim team, the DePaul University women’s track team, and the Kenyon College swim team.
• East Dublin, Georgia, December 8, 1998: A 1995 Ford van carrying five 4- and 5-year-olds and one adult to a Head Start program reportedly ran a stop sign and crashed into a pickup truck. One 4-year-old was ejected and fatally injured. The van and truck both overturned. Eight van windows shattered.
• Bennettsville, South Carolina, February 16, 1998: A 1996 Dodge van carrying six children home from a church-run after-school program was hit by a tow truck after the van ran a stop sign, according to a witness. All six children, ages 7-11, were killed. Three were ejected from the van.
• Columbia, South Carolina, 1994: Jacob Strebler, 6, was killed on his way to swimming classes in a private school van hit by a truck. Experts determined he would not have been killed and may even have escaped serious injury had he been in a school bus that met federal safety standards. Too late to save his life, the state enacted a law in his name to prevent such deaths (see below).
The More, the Deadlier
As the death toll mounted, NHTSA analyzed 1,957 crashes that involved 15-passenger vans and discovered that the more passengers the van was carrying, the more likely it was to overturn:
• When fewer than five passengers were on board, 12.3 percent (224 of 1,815 crashes) of the vans overturned, about the same rate as that for light trucks.
• When carrying five to nine passengers, however, vans overturned 20.8 percent of the time (16 of 77 crashes).
• With 10-15 passengers aboard, the vans rolled over 29.1 percent of the time (16 of 55 crashes).
• And when carrying more than 15 passengers, they rolled over in crashes an astonishing 70 percent of the time (7 of 10).
Overall, the vans were three times more likely to roll over in a crash when loaded with 10 or more passengers than when they carried fewer than five.
Why the Carnage?
A major problem is that the 15-passenger van has a high center of gravity. That center shifts even higher and rearward as more occupants board. The rearward shift gives the van a propensity to “fishtail” and the upward shift increases its likelihood of overturning. The combination of lateral slide of the rear tires – fishtailing – and the “top-heavy” design compound the risk of rollover. Dangerous stability problems, not noticeable to average drivers, become all too apparent in emergency steering situations, such as swerving to avoid an obstacle or a sudden tire failure at highway speed. A van that is fishtailing is out of control. The more heavily loaded the van, the greater the gravity shift and the more likely it is to overturn, with tragic consequences.
Once the van does overturn, its occupants are exposed to even greater hazards than those of most vehicles:
• A lack of structural integrity that could protect the passenger compartment from collapse or intrusion.
• Inadequate crash padding that could protect passengers from being thrown against hard surfaces.
• Lack of laminated side windows that might “cushion” someone thrown against them rather than shatter and permit ejection.
• Lack of emergency exits and traffic-control safety features standard on regular school buses.
Such shortcomings make the 15-passenger van literally a death trap on wheels, a trap merely awaiting an opportunity to spring on unwary passengers and driver.
A History of Avoidance
How did a passenger vehicle marketed to carry groups of children, the elderly and other vulnerable populations become such an open threat to their lives? The answers are rooted in the vans’ history.
In the early 1970s, first Dodge, then Ford sought to accommodate emerging demand for a vehicle that could carry small groups of passengers. Instead of creating a new vehicle, they chose to modify existing cargo vans simply by making the body longer and installing seats for 15 passengers, without lengthening the wheel base. (Dodge ceased manufacturing its 15-passenger vans in June 2002, but many remain on the road.)
Ford chose to ignore its own engineers’ recommendations. Records show engineers recognized early the need to extend the wheel base and add dual rear wheels to prevent fishtailing. Videotaped tests demonstrate that using dual rear wheels would significantly reduce side sway and the tendency to “slide out.” It would also provide redundancy if a tire fails. The engineers’ recommendations were rejected because of the projected costs – an estimated $315 per vehicle – and production delays. As a result, the Ford E-350 SCW, which now controls most of the market, has remained essentially unchanged since 1979.
General Motors entered the 15-passenger market late, around 1990, by expanding its 12-passenger van to 15 passengers. Although GM did lengthen the vehicle’s wheel base, it did not bother to conduct any “side pull” tests on the vans, despite having performed such tests on other vehicles since the 1960s and despite advising NHTSA in 1973 that the tests were the “best approach to determine rollover resistance.” In fact, GM has known since the early 1980s that vans experience more rollovers and more occupant ejections in crashes, yet the auto maker has conducted no stability test of any kind on its 15-passenger GMC van. ...Click here to read the full article on SafetyForum
In the United States, the majority of states ban the use of 15 passenger vans
According to a 2004 study by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, the majority of states in the United States have banned the use of 15 passenger vans for use in transporting children to and from school and extra curricular activities.
Click here to read the full survey results:
· 29 states have laws or regulations that prohibit the use of vans for transporting public school students to and from school and school-related activities.
· 12 states have laws and regulations that prohibit the use of vans for transporting public school students to and from school, but allow the use of vans for school activity trips. [Note: One state has passed legislation that will prohibit the use of vans for activity trips after June 30, 2006.]
· 9 states allow the use of vans for transporting public school students to and from school and school-related activities. [Note: One of these nine states has passed legislation that will not allow the use of vans to transport students after June 1, 2008. Another state has a statewide, self-insurance pool that will not insure vans used to transport students after July 1, 2005.]
· In many states, the laws and regulations that apply to public schools may not apply to private and church-sponsored schools.
Click here to read the full survey results:
· 29 states have laws or regulations that prohibit the use of vans for transporting public school students to and from school and school-related activities.
· 12 states have laws and regulations that prohibit the use of vans for transporting public school students to and from school, but allow the use of vans for school activity trips. [Note: One state has passed legislation that will prohibit the use of vans for activity trips after June 30, 2006.]
· 9 states allow the use of vans for transporting public school students to and from school and school-related activities. [Note: One of these nine states has passed legislation that will not allow the use of vans to transport students after June 1, 2008. Another state has a statewide, self-insurance pool that will not insure vans used to transport students after July 1, 2005.]
· In many states, the laws and regulations that apply to public schools may not apply to private and church-sponsored schools.
Canadian Standards Association proposes new standards in 2008 but 15 passenger vans still being used to transport school children!!
In August 2008, seven months after our sons were killed, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) proposed voluntary new standards for school transportation safety that would replace 15 passenger vans with 21 passenger Multi Function Activity Vehicles (MFAVs). Nearly two years have passed and these standards have yet to be acted upon by Transport Canada and the Federal government.
____
New standards proposed for 15-passenger vans
August 23, 2008
Click here to read original article
The Canadian Standards Association has published new voluntary safety guidelines for 15-passenger vans, seven months after seven high school basketball players and a teacher were killed in a van crash in Bathurst, N.B.
The Canadian Standards Association has published new voluntary safety guidelines for 15-passenger vans, seven months after seven high school basketball players and a teacher were killed in a van crash in Bathurst, N.B.
The new standards, released Wednesday, were designed to apply to a proposed category of multi-functional vehicles.
Though not school buses, this new class of vehicle would be used to transport groups of school-aged children on field trips, sporting events and extracurricular activities.
“CSA has extensive expertise in developing national standards for school buses,” said John Walte, vice-president of standards development at the CSA. “We have applied that same expertise to the new multi-functional activity bus standard. The intent was to develop a standard for a type of vehicle that . . . should be built to very similar standards (to a school bus) for safety and construction.”
This is the first time standards have been developed for this proposed class of vehicle, the safety association said in a news release.
The standards, however, are voluntary, which means it will be up to individual provinces to decide whether to implement them.
The standards suggests that these vehicles be constructed to meet school bus guidelines in terms of their joint strength, crashworthiness, rollover protection, emergency exits and compartmentalization.
Other safety standards commonly found on school buses such as warning lamps or stop arms were not included in the standards.
On Jan. 12, a 15-passenger van carrying the Bathurst High School basketball team skidded into oncoming traffic and was broadsided by a transport truck outside Bathurst, minutes from the students’ homes.
A recently concluded investigation found that there were slippery roads, whiteout conditions and that the driver of the van, the team’s coach, had been working for more than 16 hours when the collision occurred.
The vans have been banned in schools across the United States but no similar widespread ban is in effect in Canada.
Following the Bathurst crash, some school boards have decided to stop using the 15-passenger vans.
© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.
____
New standards proposed for 15-passenger vans
August 23, 2008
Click here to read original article
The Canadian Standards Association has published new voluntary safety guidelines for 15-passenger vans, seven months after seven high school basketball players and a teacher were killed in a van crash in Bathurst, N.B.
The Canadian Standards Association has published new voluntary safety guidelines for 15-passenger vans, seven months after seven high school basketball players and a teacher were killed in a van crash in Bathurst, N.B.
The new standards, released Wednesday, were designed to apply to a proposed category of multi-functional vehicles.
Though not school buses, this new class of vehicle would be used to transport groups of school-aged children on field trips, sporting events and extracurricular activities.
“CSA has extensive expertise in developing national standards for school buses,” said John Walte, vice-president of standards development at the CSA. “We have applied that same expertise to the new multi-functional activity bus standard. The intent was to develop a standard for a type of vehicle that . . . should be built to very similar standards (to a school bus) for safety and construction.”
This is the first time standards have been developed for this proposed class of vehicle, the safety association said in a news release.
The standards, however, are voluntary, which means it will be up to individual provinces to decide whether to implement them.
The standards suggests that these vehicles be constructed to meet school bus guidelines in terms of their joint strength, crashworthiness, rollover protection, emergency exits and compartmentalization.
Other safety standards commonly found on school buses such as warning lamps or stop arms were not included in the standards.
On Jan. 12, a 15-passenger van carrying the Bathurst High School basketball team skidded into oncoming traffic and was broadsided by a transport truck outside Bathurst, minutes from the students’ homes.
A recently concluded investigation found that there were slippery roads, whiteout conditions and that the driver of the van, the team’s coach, had been working for more than 16 hours when the collision occurred.
The vans have been banned in schools across the United States but no similar widespread ban is in effect in Canada.
Following the Bathurst crash, some school boards have decided to stop using the 15-passenger vans.
© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.
Cowichan BC School Trustees Phase Out 15 Passenger Vans: Bus driver's push to ban 15-passenger vans gains traction
By Jenn Marshall - Nanaimo News Bulletin
This article appeared in the Nanaimo News Bulletin on February 25, 2010. Click here to read the original article.
A Nanaimo school district bus driver and mechanic on a mission to get 15-passenger vans off the roads can chalk up at least one victory.
Bryan Murphy, treasurer of CUPE Local 606 and long-time school bus driver, has been travelling around B.C. on behalf of his union, speaking to school officials and parents about the dangers posed by the vans.
So far, he’s spoken with officials in Nanaimo, Cowichan and Nelson school districts about research that shows the vehicles are more prone to fishtailing and rollovers.
And his words hit home with Cowichan Valley trustees.
Last month, Cowichan trustees decided to phase out use of the controversial vehicles by September.
The vans came to the public’s attention after a 2008 crash in New Brunswick killed eight people.
Following the crash, Murphy researched the vans and found statistics from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that showed when carrying between five and nine passengers, vans involved in a crash rolled over 20 per cent of the time, or 16 of 77 crashes.
Transport Canada has not issued any recommendations regarding the use of the vans, but Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have banned them for school use.
Murphy spoke to Nanaimo trustees last April and plans to continue lobbying the district to ban use of the vehicles altogether.
The vans can be used for district-sponsored events as long as certain requirements are met – keeping the passenger load below 10 people, requiring the use of seatbelts and placing cargo and passengers forward of the rear axle.
Trustees have requested more information from staff about the vans and the frequency of their use for district-sponsored events, as well as information about cost-effective alternatives.
Murphy said in Nanaimo, the vans are sometimes used to transport students to events like sports tournaments because they are a more cost-effective mode of transportation – rent is lower and parents can drive the vans, saving on the cost of hiring a school bus driver.
“Most economical is not most safe,” he said. “My issue is the safety of the students.”
Murphy’s next step is to speak to Island labour councils.
This article appeared in the Nanaimo News Bulletin on February 25, 2010. Click here to read the original article.
A Nanaimo school district bus driver and mechanic on a mission to get 15-passenger vans off the roads can chalk up at least one victory.
Bryan Murphy, treasurer of CUPE Local 606 and long-time school bus driver, has been travelling around B.C. on behalf of his union, speaking to school officials and parents about the dangers posed by the vans.
So far, he’s spoken with officials in Nanaimo, Cowichan and Nelson school districts about research that shows the vehicles are more prone to fishtailing and rollovers.
And his words hit home with Cowichan Valley trustees.
Last month, Cowichan trustees decided to phase out use of the controversial vehicles by September.
The vans came to the public’s attention after a 2008 crash in New Brunswick killed eight people.
Following the crash, Murphy researched the vans and found statistics from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that showed when carrying between five and nine passengers, vans involved in a crash rolled over 20 per cent of the time, or 16 of 77 crashes.
Transport Canada has not issued any recommendations regarding the use of the vans, but Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have banned them for school use.
Murphy spoke to Nanaimo trustees last April and plans to continue lobbying the district to ban use of the vehicles altogether.
The vans can be used for district-sponsored events as long as certain requirements are met – keeping the passenger load below 10 people, requiring the use of seatbelts and placing cargo and passengers forward of the rear axle.
Trustees have requested more information from staff about the vans and the frequency of their use for district-sponsored events, as well as information about cost-effective alternatives.
Murphy said in Nanaimo, the vans are sometimes used to transport students to events like sports tournaments because they are a more cost-effective mode of transportation – rent is lower and parents can drive the vans, saving on the cost of hiring a school bus driver.
“Most economical is not most safe,” he said. “My issue is the safety of the students.”
Murphy’s next step is to speak to Island labour councils.
US Federal Law Prohibits use of 15 passenger vans for school transportation
In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been actively working for more than two decades to educate the public about the use of 15 passenger vans for school related transportation.
Click here to read "15 Passenger Van Outreach Plan" from the NHTSA
The NHTSA published an action plan for 15‐passenger van safety in 2003 that described research programs, consumer information activities, and regulatory actions intended to address the safety of 15‐passenger van users. The plan was updated in 2004, and since then the agency has completed the majority of planned projects. The remaining actions include rulemakings to improve roof crush resistance and mitigate occupant ejections; updating 15‐passenger van crash fatality research; and ongoing consumer information activities.
Since 2004, NHTSA completed five major rulemakings that improve on the safety of 15‐passenger vans. As of 2005, Federal law prohibits the use of 15‐passenger vans for the school related transport of high school age and younger students and since model year 2006, NHTSA has included 15‐passenger vans in its New Car Assessment Program rollover testing. In addition, the action plan was updated again in April 2008 and reported on progress since the 2004 update.
Moving forward, NHTSA is committed to conducting ongoing consumer education to address 15‐passenger van safety through a sustained public education campaign.
Click here to read "15 Passenger Van Outreach Plan" from the NHTSA
The NHTSA published an action plan for 15‐passenger van safety in 2003 that described research programs, consumer information activities, and regulatory actions intended to address the safety of 15‐passenger van users. The plan was updated in 2004, and since then the agency has completed the majority of planned projects. The remaining actions include rulemakings to improve roof crush resistance and mitigate occupant ejections; updating 15‐passenger van crash fatality research; and ongoing consumer information activities.
Since 2004, NHTSA completed five major rulemakings that improve on the safety of 15‐passenger vans. As of 2005, Federal law prohibits the use of 15‐passenger vans for the school related transport of high school age and younger students and since model year 2006, NHTSA has included 15‐passenger vans in its New Car Assessment Program rollover testing. In addition, the action plan was updated again in April 2008 and reported on progress since the 2004 update.
Moving forward, NHTSA is committed to conducting ongoing consumer education to address 15‐passenger van safety through a sustained public education campaign.
NHTSA: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US says "Don't use 15-passenger vans for school transportation" : School buses safest
Click here to go the NHTSA website about 15 passenger vans
Terry L. Voy, Consultant
School Transportation
Iowa Department of Education
Grimes State Office Building
Des Moines, IA 50319
Dear Mr. Voy:
This responds to your request for an interpretation regarding the use of 12 to15-passenger vans by child day care providers to drop off and pick up school children from school. You asked three questions, which are addressed below:
Question 1. Do the federal motor vehicle safety regulations relating to the sale and lease of school buses apply to vehicles [new buses] sold or leased to publicly or privately owned day care facilities who use these vehicles to transport school-aged children to and from school as a part of their day care services?
As explained below, the answer depends on whether the new buses will be "significantly" used to transport school children "to or from" school or related events. If the bus will be used for such purpose, a school bus must be sold, regardless of whether such transportation is provided by a school or a day care facility.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has the authority to regulate the first sale or lease of a new vehicle by a dealer. Our statute at 49 U.S.C. §30112 requires any person selling or leasing a new vehicle to sell or lease a vehicle that meets all applicable standards. Under our regulations, a "bus" is any vehicle, including a van, that has a seating capacity of 11 persons or more. Our statute defines a "school bus" as any bus which is likely to be "used significantly" to transport "preprimary, primary, and secondary" students to or from school or related events (emphasis added). 49 U.S.C. §30125. A 12 to15-passenger van that is likely to be used significantly to transport students is a "school bus."
If the new bus is sold or leased to transport students (e.g., leased on a regular or long-term basis), it is a "school bus" and must meet NHTSA's school bus standards. Conventional 12 to15-passenger vans are not certified as doing so, and thus cannot be sold or leased, as new vehicles, to carry students on a regular basis.
Whether the buses are "used significantly" to transport the students is an issue that the agency finds appropriate to resolve case-by-case, focusing on the intended use of the vehicle. In a June 1, 1998, letter to Cox Chevrolet (copy enclosed), we addressed the situation where students were being picked up from school "five days a week." In that letter, we stated: "In our view, such regular use of the vehicle to pick up students 'from school' (even if the same students are not transported each day), would constitute a 'significant' use of the vehicle." We also informed the dealer that when it leases new buses to the dance studio for use in transporting students "from school," it must lease buses that meet the Federal school bus standards.(1) We also believe that regular use on alternate days would be "significant."
The requirements for the use of a motor vehicle are determined by State law, so requirements of each State should be consulted to determine how students must be transported to and from school or school-related activities. In addition, NHTSA believes that school buses are one of the safest forms of transportation in this country, and therefore strongly recommends that all buses that are used to transport school children be certified as meeting NHTSA's school bus safety standards. Further, using 12 to15-passenger vans that do not meet the school bus standards to transport students could result in increased liability in the event of a crash.
Question 2. If your response to question #1 above is in the affirmative, does the use of a vehicle owned or leased and operated by a day care provider for to and from transportation constitute "significant use" as the phrase is used in the statutory definition of a school bus?
I believe we answered this in response to Question 1. We may consider use of the bus for pupil transportation "significant" under our school bus regulations, even if the provider is a day care facility.
Question 3. If questions #1 and #2 above are answered in the affirmative, do the same federal sanctions apply to dealers who sell or lease vehicles of [more than 10] capacity to day care providers for to and from school transportation purposes?
The answer is yes, a dealer that sells or leases a noncomplying vehicle to a day care facility in violation of 49 U.S.C. Section 30112, would be subject to the same penalties that a dealer would face when selling noncomplying vehicles to a school. NHTSA's regulations at 49 CFR §578.6, Civil penalties for violations of specified provisions of Title 49 of the United States Code, subsection (a) states:
(a) Motor Vehicle Safety. A person that violates any of sections 30112 ... is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $1,100 for each violation. A separate violation occurs for each motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment and for each failure or refusal to allow or perform an act required by any of those sections. The maximum civil penalty under this paragraph for a related series of violations is $880,000.
I hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Dorothy Nakama at this address or by telephone at (202) 366-2992.
Sincerely,
Frank Seales, Jr.
Chief Counsel
Enclosure
ref:VSA#571.3 "school bus only"
d.8/3/98
1. As you may be aware, in interpretation letters of May 29, 1991 and September 6, 1991 to Ms. Vel McCaslin, Director of Grace After School, an after school care program, NHTSA stated that buses used to transport children to Ms. McCaslin's program would be "school buses" only if the program is a "school or school-related event." The September 1991 letter indicated that the program picks up children from three area schools and brings them to the church on a "daily" basis. These letters concluded that Grace After School did not appear to be a "school," that the program was not a "school-related event" and that NHTSA's school bus requirements thus did not apply. NHTSA has recently reexamined the two letters to Ms. McCaslin. Upon reconsideration, we have decided that the letters did not focus enough on the fact that the buses were being used to transport school children "from school," as specified in 49 U.S.C. §30125. Therefore, to the extent the May 29, 1991 and September 6, 1991 letters to Ms. McCaslin are inconsistent with this letter, they are hereby superceded.
Terry L. Voy, Consultant
School Transportation
Iowa Department of Education
Grimes State Office Building
Des Moines, IA 50319
Dear Mr. Voy:
This responds to your request for an interpretation regarding the use of 12 to15-passenger vans by child day care providers to drop off and pick up school children from school. You asked three questions, which are addressed below:
Question 1. Do the federal motor vehicle safety regulations relating to the sale and lease of school buses apply to vehicles [new buses] sold or leased to publicly or privately owned day care facilities who use these vehicles to transport school-aged children to and from school as a part of their day care services?
As explained below, the answer depends on whether the new buses will be "significantly" used to transport school children "to or from" school or related events. If the bus will be used for such purpose, a school bus must be sold, regardless of whether such transportation is provided by a school or a day care facility.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has the authority to regulate the first sale or lease of a new vehicle by a dealer. Our statute at 49 U.S.C. §30112 requires any person selling or leasing a new vehicle to sell or lease a vehicle that meets all applicable standards. Under our regulations, a "bus" is any vehicle, including a van, that has a seating capacity of 11 persons or more. Our statute defines a "school bus" as any bus which is likely to be "used significantly" to transport "preprimary, primary, and secondary" students to or from school or related events (emphasis added). 49 U.S.C. §30125. A 12 to15-passenger van that is likely to be used significantly to transport students is a "school bus."
If the new bus is sold or leased to transport students (e.g., leased on a regular or long-term basis), it is a "school bus" and must meet NHTSA's school bus standards. Conventional 12 to15-passenger vans are not certified as doing so, and thus cannot be sold or leased, as new vehicles, to carry students on a regular basis.
Whether the buses are "used significantly" to transport the students is an issue that the agency finds appropriate to resolve case-by-case, focusing on the intended use of the vehicle. In a June 1, 1998, letter to Cox Chevrolet (copy enclosed), we addressed the situation where students were being picked up from school "five days a week." In that letter, we stated: "In our view, such regular use of the vehicle to pick up students 'from school' (even if the same students are not transported each day), would constitute a 'significant' use of the vehicle." We also informed the dealer that when it leases new buses to the dance studio for use in transporting students "from school," it must lease buses that meet the Federal school bus standards.(1) We also believe that regular use on alternate days would be "significant."
The requirements for the use of a motor vehicle are determined by State law, so requirements of each State should be consulted to determine how students must be transported to and from school or school-related activities. In addition, NHTSA believes that school buses are one of the safest forms of transportation in this country, and therefore strongly recommends that all buses that are used to transport school children be certified as meeting NHTSA's school bus safety standards. Further, using 12 to15-passenger vans that do not meet the school bus standards to transport students could result in increased liability in the event of a crash.
Question 2. If your response to question #1 above is in the affirmative, does the use of a vehicle owned or leased and operated by a day care provider for to and from transportation constitute "significant use" as the phrase is used in the statutory definition of a school bus?
I believe we answered this in response to Question 1. We may consider use of the bus for pupil transportation "significant" under our school bus regulations, even if the provider is a day care facility.
Question 3. If questions #1 and #2 above are answered in the affirmative, do the same federal sanctions apply to dealers who sell or lease vehicles of [more than 10] capacity to day care providers for to and from school transportation purposes?
The answer is yes, a dealer that sells or leases a noncomplying vehicle to a day care facility in violation of 49 U.S.C. Section 30112, would be subject to the same penalties that a dealer would face when selling noncomplying vehicles to a school. NHTSA's regulations at 49 CFR §578.6, Civil penalties for violations of specified provisions of Title 49 of the United States Code, subsection (a) states:
(a) Motor Vehicle Safety. A person that violates any of sections 30112 ... is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $1,100 for each violation. A separate violation occurs for each motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment and for each failure or refusal to allow or perform an act required by any of those sections. The maximum civil penalty under this paragraph for a related series of violations is $880,000.
I hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Dorothy Nakama at this address or by telephone at (202) 366-2992.
Sincerely,
Frank Seales, Jr.
Chief Counsel
Enclosure
ref:VSA#571.3 "school bus only"
d.8/3/98
1. As you may be aware, in interpretation letters of May 29, 1991 and September 6, 1991 to Ms. Vel McCaslin, Director of Grace After School, an after school care program, NHTSA stated that buses used to transport children to Ms. McCaslin's program would be "school buses" only if the program is a "school or school-related event." The September 1991 letter indicated that the program picks up children from three area schools and brings them to the church on a "daily" basis. These letters concluded that Grace After School did not appear to be a "school," that the program was not a "school-related event" and that NHTSA's school bus requirements thus did not apply. NHTSA has recently reexamined the two letters to Ms. McCaslin. Upon reconsideration, we have decided that the letters did not focus enough on the fact that the buses were being used to transport school children "from school," as specified in 49 U.S.C. §30125. Therefore, to the extent the May 29, 1991 and September 6, 1991 letters to Ms. McCaslin are inconsistent with this letter, they are hereby superceded.
Petition to stop use of 15 passenger vans
This petition to stop the use of 15 passenger vans for transporting children has been on line for more than a year. The petition is now closed but they made a very good argument against the use of 15 passenger vans for transporting children.
Click here to go to Petition
The New Brunswick government has suspended the use of 15-seat passenger vans to transfer students to and from school following a horrific crash that killed seven students and a teacher from Bathurst, N.B., Jan 11, 2008.
In the Jan. 17/08 Pique story, the RMOW said that it may phase out any long trips for the Kids-On-The-Go Program. These field trips are part of what makes this program fun and interesting for our children. We are surprised and upset that phasing out long trips is the RMOW's solution to using unsafe vehicles. It seems the bigger issue is that these vehicles are unsafe for any transportation of our children, whether around Whistler or further afield.
We are especially appalled that the "recreation coordinator" for the RMOW, questions the call by the Canada Safety Council to see this type of van banned for carrying kids. To follow are just a few reports from recent news with quotes from many "Authorities" on the safety of vehicles, who beg to differ with him!
-As stated by Safetyforum.com, a Washington-based consulting group that gathers accident information for litigation, "such shortcomings make the 15-passenger van literally a death trap on wheels."
-Also after its insurance company raised concerns, Edmonton Public Schools began restricting use of 15-passenger vans in 2005 by stipulating a maximum of 12 pupils, not using the backseats for students or gear, and disallowing roof racks and trailers. However, last month the board issued a directive barring the vans as of Sept. 1, "due to the number of accidents these vans have been involved in." Until then, the board's fleet of 15 vans can only be used within city limits.
-"Where the van gets itself in real trouble is when it's involved in an impact from the side, a glancing blow, anything that might cause an intrusion, because it's just a light shell of metal over some metal uprights and not much of a barrier in keeping another vehicle out," said David White, Director of the Motor Carrier division of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, a regulatory body.
-Four recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advisories prompted the U.S. Congress to make it illegal for American schools to buy new, 15-passenger vans for transporting their students. More than 40 US states now prohibit the use of 15-passenger vans for taking students to and from public schools. The U.S. advisories also said such vans are prone to fishtailing and are difficult to bring back under control, particularly at high speeds, and especially when the vans are heavily loaded. The Bathurst, NB High School van was carrying 12 of 15 possible passengers, including the driver, when it crashed.
-"If you have any loss of control for any reason, it's very difficult to get the van back under control," says Jeff Wiggington, a Texas lawyer who has campaigned hard to have the vans removed from U.S. roads. Because of the weight on the rear axle, "the front tires are less responsive than you expect them to be to any steering inputs, so the driver is deceived into steering too much or too little into what happens on the roadway. The bottom line is that a minor error often becomes fatal in a 15-passenger van, whereas in most vehicles it is not."
The driver training that the RMOW offers is good but obviously not the solution in this case. We feel very strongly that these vans should no longer be used by our municipality for transportation of our children or any other of our cherished citizens.
Click here to go to Petition
The New Brunswick government has suspended the use of 15-seat passenger vans to transfer students to and from school following a horrific crash that killed seven students and a teacher from Bathurst, N.B., Jan 11, 2008.
In the Jan. 17/08 Pique story, the RMOW said that it may phase out any long trips for the Kids-On-The-Go Program. These field trips are part of what makes this program fun and interesting for our children. We are surprised and upset that phasing out long trips is the RMOW's solution to using unsafe vehicles. It seems the bigger issue is that these vehicles are unsafe for any transportation of our children, whether around Whistler or further afield.
We are especially appalled that the "recreation coordinator" for the RMOW, questions the call by the Canada Safety Council to see this type of van banned for carrying kids. To follow are just a few reports from recent news with quotes from many "Authorities" on the safety of vehicles, who beg to differ with him!
-As stated by Safetyforum.com, a Washington-based consulting group that gathers accident information for litigation, "such shortcomings make the 15-passenger van literally a death trap on wheels."
-Also after its insurance company raised concerns, Edmonton Public Schools began restricting use of 15-passenger vans in 2005 by stipulating a maximum of 12 pupils, not using the backseats for students or gear, and disallowing roof racks and trailers. However, last month the board issued a directive barring the vans as of Sept. 1, "due to the number of accidents these vans have been involved in." Until then, the board's fleet of 15 vans can only be used within city limits.
-"Where the van gets itself in real trouble is when it's involved in an impact from the side, a glancing blow, anything that might cause an intrusion, because it's just a light shell of metal over some metal uprights and not much of a barrier in keeping another vehicle out," said David White, Director of the Motor Carrier division of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, a regulatory body.
-Four recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advisories prompted the U.S. Congress to make it illegal for American schools to buy new, 15-passenger vans for transporting their students. More than 40 US states now prohibit the use of 15-passenger vans for taking students to and from public schools. The U.S. advisories also said such vans are prone to fishtailing and are difficult to bring back under control, particularly at high speeds, and especially when the vans are heavily loaded. The Bathurst, NB High School van was carrying 12 of 15 possible passengers, including the driver, when it crashed.
-"If you have any loss of control for any reason, it's very difficult to get the van back under control," says Jeff Wiggington, a Texas lawyer who has campaigned hard to have the vans removed from U.S. roads. Because of the weight on the rear axle, "the front tires are less responsive than you expect them to be to any steering inputs, so the driver is deceived into steering too much or too little into what happens on the roadway. The bottom line is that a minor error often becomes fatal in a 15-passenger van, whereas in most vehicles it is not."
The driver training that the RMOW offers is good but obviously not the solution in this case. We feel very strongly that these vans should no longer be used by our municipality for transportation of our children or any other of our cherished citizens.
Experts questioned safety of van in N.B. crash for years before Bathurst tragedy: 2006 Conference of School Bus Drivers Unanimous support for MFAVs
This article appeared on CTV news January 14, 2008, two days after the collision that killed our sons.
Click here to read original article on CTV News.
While a small New Brunswick community struggles to come to terms with a horrific accident that killed eight people, transport analysts are suggesting the group may have been safer inside another vehicle.
Seven members of the Bathurst High School basketball team and the coach's wife died as they travelled inside a van that has been banned from school-use in nearby Nova Scotia.
Their 15-seat Ford Club Wagon lost control early Saturday on an icy highway, slamming into a tractor trailer just south of Bathurst. Officials are still investigating, but have said that slippery conditions may have been a factor in the crash.
"The vehicle actually ripped open like a tin can," automotive expert Ron Campbell told CTV News.
"When this accident happened, I have to say that deep down in my heart, I felt, 'Oh my gosh, another 15 passenger van crash.'"
It's unknown if the vehicle rolled over in the accident after it lost control. But in the U.S., 15-seat van roll-overs have killed more than 1,500 people in the past 10 years.
David White, director of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board's motor carrier division, said the province first began examining 15-seat vans about two decades ago.
"The province was watching the van issue during the 1980s," he told CTV News. "And having had a negative experience ourselves during the 80s, where we had fatalities as a result of collisions using these vehicles to transport young people."
Three members of a hockey team and a volunteer were killed in Nova Scotia in 1984, when their van crashed into the back of a transport truck in slippery road conditions.
"Politically, it was decided in the early 1990s that we needed to deal with the matter and bring regulations into place that would ensure that children who are traveling either to or from school, and for extra and co-curricular activities within our school system, were not being transported on large vans such as the 14 or 15 passenger van," said White.
He has tried to make 15-seat vans a national issue, working alongside the Canadian Standards Association.
CTV News obtained a letter the group sent last July to Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon, identifying the need for "a new classification of bus intended to replace the 15-passenger vans from transporting children to and from school-related activities."
The federal government has said it's reviewing the regulations surrounding the transportation of children, but it could take months to complete its investigation.
White has given his full support for using a "multi-function activity bus" that's made in Canada but mostly used in the U.S.
He said in 2006, at a national school bus conference in Halifax, federal officials asked a room of about 350 industry experts whether they would back such a vehicle for transporting children.
"I'm sure it was unanimous," said White. "I was there and when the hands went up in the room, I didn't see anyone that didn't have their hand up. Some of them had both hands up."
15 Passenger Vans banned in 30 American states
What are the States Doing?
In 1997 (13 years ago)
The following 29 States have ruled that school districts CANNOT use non-conforming buses to transport School Children; most other states have legislation pending. In some states the legislative language uses the phrase school "age" children.
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Utah
Virginia
West Virginia
Washington
Wyoming
*Data from the 1997 NSTA Transportation Survey
In 1997 (13 years ago)
The following 29 States have ruled that school districts CANNOT use non-conforming buses to transport School Children; most other states have legislation pending. In some states the legislative language uses the phrase school "age" children.
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Utah
Virginia
West Virginia
Washington
Wyoming
*Data from the 1997 NSTA Transportation Survey
Nanaimo mom continues fight against 15-passenger vans
Danielle Bell, Daily News
Published: Monday, May 24, 2010
A Nanaimo mother whose son was killed in a crash in a 15-passenger van will travel to Ottawa tomorrow for the introduction of a private member's bill limiting the use of the vans.
Stella Gurr lost her son Michael in a rollover crash in Manitoba in 2008. The 26-year-old man was on a cross-Canada tour with his Vancouver-based band, The Hotel Lobbyists, when the 15-passenger van he was riding in flipped several times along the Trans-Canada Highway.
A year after his death, Gurr coralled family and friends through mass e-mails and spurred hundreds of letters sent to Transport Canada urging officials to take action against the vans she and safety experts have referred to as "death traps."
Friday, May 21, 2010
BC Mom Joins Fight to Ban 15 Passenger Vans in Ottawa
By Richard Foot, Canwest News Service
(This article appeared in the Victoria Times Colonist last year. Stella Gurr will be joining us in Ottawa next week to witness the introduction of the Private Members Bill outlawing 15 passenger vans).
(Click here to read full story in the Victoria Times Colonist)
September 18, 2009
A grieving British Columbia mother has joined forces with the families of the seven boys killed in last year's infamous high school van crash in New Brunswick, adding her voice to their struggle for safer student travel laws and a nationwide ban on 15-passenger vans.
One year ago next week, 26-year-old Michael Benedetti Gurr was killed when the Ford 15-passenger van he was riding in flipped several times on the Trans-Canada Highway near Brandon, Man.
His mother Stella Gurr, who lives in Nanaimo, B.C., says her son — like the seven boys in New Brunswick — would be alive today if the federal government had banned the sale of the crash-prone vans in Canada.
She has spoken to some of the New Brunswick parents and promised to support their campaign to have the provinces, and Ottawa, implement the safety recommendations of a coroner's inquest into the high school tragedy.
Chief among the recommendations is that 15-passenger vans should be banned for student travel, and children should only be driven to extra-curricular school events in certified minibuses or school buses with professional drivers.
Gurr says governments should go even further, and ban 15-passenger vans not only from schools but for all passenger purposes.
"I called one of the parents last week and said: 'You know, you're fighting over there and I have my own battle over here. We should work together.'"
Michael Gurr, a former football player for Champlain College in Quebec, was a drummer for the Vancouver rock band The Hotel Lobbyists. Click here to read the rest of the article in the Victoria Times Colonist
This article also appeared in the Nanaimo Daily News on September 19, 2009. Click here to read the article.
(This article appeared in the Victoria Times Colonist last year. Stella Gurr will be joining us in Ottawa next week to witness the introduction of the Private Members Bill outlawing 15 passenger vans).
(Click here to read full story in the Victoria Times Colonist)
September 18, 2009
A grieving British Columbia mother has joined forces with the families of the seven boys killed in last year's infamous high school van crash in New Brunswick, adding her voice to their struggle for safer student travel laws and a nationwide ban on 15-passenger vans.One year ago next week, 26-year-old Michael Benedetti Gurr was killed when the Ford 15-passenger van he was riding in flipped several times on the Trans-Canada Highway near Brandon, Man.
His mother Stella Gurr, who lives in Nanaimo, B.C., says her son — like the seven boys in New Brunswick — would be alive today if the federal government had banned the sale of the crash-prone vans in Canada.
She has spoken to some of the New Brunswick parents and promised to support their campaign to have the provinces, and Ottawa, implement the safety recommendations of a coroner's inquest into the high school tragedy.
Chief among the recommendations is that 15-passenger vans should be banned for student travel, and children should only be driven to extra-curricular school events in certified minibuses or school buses with professional drivers.
Gurr says governments should go even further, and ban 15-passenger vans not only from schools but for all passenger purposes.
"I called one of the parents last week and said: 'You know, you're fighting over there and I have my own battle over here. We should work together.'"
Michael Gurr, a former football player for Champlain College in Quebec, was a drummer for the Vancouver rock band The Hotel Lobbyists. Click here to read the rest of the article in the Victoria Times Colonist
This article also appeared in the Nanaimo Daily News on September 19, 2009. Click here to read the article.
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