The school year is almost complete. This is great news for children, but can leave many parents scrambling to find safe activities to keep their children occupied all summer long. Fortunately, many area churches and youth organizations offer both day and overnight camps. These camps promise plenty of fun and exciting adventures for kids of all ages. However, one thing parents should be concerned about before signing his or her child up for a camp is how the child will be transported to and from activities. Many camps rely on 15 passenger vans to shuffle kids from pools to parks and back to camp again. However, every year, these handy vans are involved in serious wrecks.

How do these accidents occur? While 15 passenger vans can be a safe mode of transportation, there are several key mistakes that are easily made by improperly trained staff members, which can quickly lead to serious accidents. The following are five of the biggest mistakes that contribute to passenger van accidents:

1. Improper loading of the van: A passenger van that is not loaded properly can greatly affect the van’s overall stability. If the van is holding cargo, it is critical that it is placed in front of the rear axle. Vans should also be used to only carry passengers and cargo, not to tow items.
2. Exceeding van capacity: One of the features of a passenger van that contribute to accidents is the vehicle’s high center of gravity. This makes the vans more prone to rollover type accidents. The van’s center of gravity also becomes higher as the van reaches passenger or load capacity. Therefore, it is key that these van do not exceed the recommended number of passengers or cargo weight. Overloading these vans not only increases the risk of a rollover accident, but also makes these vehicles much more unstable to maneuver.
3. Not enforcing passenger safety belt usage: Since passenger vans are more likely to be involved in rollover accidents, it is of the utmost importance that all passengers wear their seat belts. Too often people assume that these vans afford the same safety features of a school bus and thus little attention is made to whether safety buckles are worn by all passengers. Studies estimate that passengers of these vans who are not wearing their seat belts at the time of an accident are three times more likely to be killed than passengers who are properly fastened.
4. Failure to properly maintain the vehicle: Failure to properly maintain any vehicle can lead to accidents. However, with passenger vans this oversight can be downright deadly. For example, van tires than are not inflated to the correct pressure can contribute to rollover accidents. The scary part is that it is estimated that half of all passenger vans have at least one tire that is not properly inflated.
5. Overall driver inexperience: Since these vans are much larger and wider than standard cars and SUVs it is imperative that the driver of the van has proper experience and/or training. A driver that does not know how to safely maneuver a passenger van can greatly increase the risks of the vehicle being involved in an accident.

If your child suffered serious injuries after being involved in a passenger van accident, the experienced Personal Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. are here to help. Our team of skilled Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys will make sure that your child’s rights are protected and that your family receives proper compensation for his or her injuries. The trusted team of Personal Injury Attorneys at the Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. have helped countless injured victims around the area, both in Kansas and Missouri. To have the attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. review your case with you, call us today at (816) 472-HOPE (4673) to schedule an initial consultation. At Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P., we pride ourselves on providing clients with compassionate yet aggressive representation.