WASHINGTON — The government is issuing a consumer advisory for motorists using 15-passenger vans after fatal crashes in Georgia and New York.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says users of the vans need to ensure that the tires are properly inflated before every trip and that the vans are maintained and not overloaded.
In Blakely, Ga., four people were killed and 15 passengers injured Oct. 4 when an aging church van blew a tire and overturned.
Last month, a church van blew a tire and rolled over along the New York State Thruway, killing six people and injuring eight others.
The federal auto safety agency says 15-passenger vans “should only be operated by trained, experienced drivers who operate these vehicles on a regular basis” and “should be well-rested and limit use of cellphones, conversations with other passengers, and limit drive time to eight hours per 24-hour period.”
The agency is directing its advisory to church groups, nonprofit organizations and colleges that might keep older 15-passenger vans in service.
The Associated Press
