12 or 15 passenger vans are unsafe and dangerous because they have a history of rollovers causing injuries and death nationwide. The Tracy Firm in Dallas TX has two current cases against these dangerous and unsafe vans. At least 29 state including Texas has banned the use of these vans in transporting students to and from school. DISD and Dallas county schools are allowing unsafe vans to transport students. Use of these vans should be violation of state law. NHTSA simply puts this case on their website as “Don’t Use as school Bus“.
News 8 investigates on this safety issue and found out that these private vans that are being used to transport children are considered dangerous as well as in the violation of the State law.
Dallas attorney Todd Tracy said he knows. He has handled 20 van rollover cases in the past 25 years that includes the two current cases against these vans for vehicle crashworthiness.
According to the Texas state law, school buses should be used for the transportation of students to and from school on routes that have 10 or more students. If the route has less than 10 students then passengers can be used instead not the passenger vans.
Texas Association of School Boards says, “School districts are not allowed to use 12- or 15-passenger vans to transport students on routes to and from school.”
“Passenger vans are not required to be manufactured to the same federal motor vehicle safety standards as traditional yellow school buses. These vehicles do not provide the same degree of occupant protection to passengers.” – The National Association of State Directors of Pupil transportation.
“Most state universities have specifically outlawed most of their school programs from using 12- and 15-passenger vans for the very reason [that] they roll over too easily and the fact that when they do roll over, there’s such a high likelihood of serious injury, including death,” Tracy said.
“You are transporting our most precious cargo,” Tracy said. “Why on God’s green Earth would you take a chance on losing them because a violation of the law? DISD should immediately stop using 12- or 15-passenger vans to transport anyone.”
The TRACY firm takes child safety issue to the manufacturers and parents with an energy that is geared toward improving child safety. There is no excuse for a child being needlessly injured in most vehicle accidents. The law firm has been battling the vehicle industry for over 2 decades.
Child Safety Attorney Todd Tracy has tried 119 cases against GMC, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Honda, Mitsubishi, Ferrari, TRW, Key Safety, Allied Signal, Breed, Takata, JCI, and Dorel Juvenile Group.
If a child was injured in van accident or any vehicle accident causing injury, please contact our law office at 214-324-9000.
Source: Channel 8 News, The TRACY Law Firm | Sept 27th 2013
