Church van usage increasing; regular maintenance important

Van safety is a relatively new concern for churches. Until the past two decades, most churches didn’t have vans. Transportation was a matter of piling into a converted school bus or recruiting a caravan of family cars to do the hauling. These days, vans have become a popular and practical alternative for groups that aren’t bus-sized, but are too big for more than a car or two.
   
As the number of church vans increases, however, so does the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities connected with them. Last year, a 13-year-old girl was killed when the church van flipped on a North Carolina highway. Ten other children were hurt in that accident. In May 2001 a church van in Texas transporting a group of women on a shopping trip blew a tire, and rolled over. Four people were killed and eight were injured.
   
What can churches do to minimize the chances of experiencing the same horror?
   
Take care of the basics, advised Jim Swedenburg, associate in the office of Leader Care and Church Administration at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
   
“Every person on the van should be wearing a seat belt,” he said.
   
Although Alabama state law does not require that adult backseat passengers be belted, legislators are considering changing this law. Having all passengers belted will decrease the risk of injury if an accident occurs.
  
Swedenburg also emphasized the importance of vehicle safety checks. Regularly checking tires, brakes, lights, windshield wipers and seat belts for functionality and signs of wear provide an ounce of prevention that could save lives, Swedenburg said.
   
Understanding the towing capacity of a vehicle is also important in the event that extra cargo space is needed for luggage or equipment.
   
According to Swedenburg, churches have a responsibility to check and monitor all church van drivers.
  
 “Make sure drivers are licensed,” he said. “It’s a good idea to make a copy of the driver’s license and keep it in the church office while he or she is driving the van. Churches should also check driving records. Drivers should never have been arrested for DUI or had a speeding ticket within the past 12 months,” he said.
   
Additionally, drivers should be required to provide proof of personal liability insurance before being given the keys to a church van. Even though the church will carry insurance on the vehicle, the driver should have it as well. A church’s insurer should be contacted with any questions about driver guidelines and coverage.
   
A commercial driver’s license is required for a driver who is operating a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds or one designed to transport 16 or more people, including the driver. The standard metal plate mounted on the door frame will provide a vehicle’s specifications.
   
But what good is all the checking and rechecking if the van’s design is dangerous? Concerns about the safety of 15-passenger vans arose when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a consumer advisory that warned these vans carry three times the rollover risk when fully loaded. study found that the van’s center of gravity shifts up and to the back, causing the vehicles to handle differently. Panic maneuvers by drivers increase the risk, so the NHTSA has also recommended that 15-passenger vans be operated only by experienced drivers. With no uniform regulation of church transportation, it is up to churches to ensure the safety of van passengers. By recognizing the risks and acting responsibly to minimize risks, churches can successfully avoid tragedy.