Reducing Florida Van Accidents With These 5 Safety Tips
There are several reasons why many individuals and businesses alike own 15-passenger vans. While they come in handy to transport goods, kids, church groups, and sports teams, they are also very dangerous. Unfortunately, those who drive and ride in large vans are often placed at risk for suffering serious crash injuries.
This is because 15-passenger vans have a higher chance of crashing due to driver inexperience, failure to maintain the van, driver fatigue, tire failure, and unbalanced cargo loads. Additionally, vans are more likely to roll in a crash because of their higher center of gravity.
Because most people are not aware that their risk of suffering injuries is higher when they drive or ride in a van, it is important that anyone who owns or drives a van take these safety tips to heart:
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Know your blind spots. Changing lanes can lead to a crash and rollover because drivers of vans might not be familiar with how large their blind spots are. Before changing lanes, double check all mirrors, signal, and move over cautiously.
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Check the tires. Before driving a van, it is important to verify that the tires are properly inflated and that there aren’t any visible cracks or damage to the sidewall. Also, it is important to make sure there is enough tread on the tires and to never drive a van if the tread is less than 2/32 of an inch deep. Worn tires can be deadly on Florida’s wet roads.
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Know how to load the cargo. Many vans are overloaded with cargo and are unbalanced. Make sure you balance your cargo and secure it so that you can decrease your rollover risk.
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Verify vehicle maintenance. All vehicles need to be properly serviced, especially vans. Find out when the last time the vehicle was maintained and make sure it is being maintained on a regular basis
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Never drive tired. Always get plenty of rest before getting behind the wheel of a van and make sure you never drive drowsy. If you feel tired, it is best to pull off the road for everyone’s safety.
If you were in a Florida van accident as a result of a driver’s negligence, you may be entitled to a financial recovery for your injuries and damages. To learn about your rights to compensation, contact the Law Office of David Benenfeld today for a free consultation with a skilled accident attorney in Fort Lauderdale at 954-677-0155.
