Vehicle Safety News

Patrick James was hours away from burying his 10-year-old daughter when he started to learn some disturbing things about her death. Lexie James was killed in July when the van she was riding in spun out of control and flipped over four times on Interstate 26 in South Carolina. Though she was wearing a seat belt, Lexie was somehow thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. What James didn't know, but would soon discover, was that tests have raised a number of safety questions about 15-passenger vans like the one in which Lexie was riding. The federal government, in fact, has issued four safety warnings about such vehicles since 2001.

In his grief, James decided to do whatever he could to make sure everyone knows the risks of climbing aboard one of the vehicles. He set up a nonprofit agency that he operates out of his Knoxville home to raise awareness about the dangers of the vans and help reduce the number of van fatalities. He traveled to church conventions, sporting events and anywhere else he could find an audience to listen to Lexie's story. And he pleaded with officials in Washington to push for more testing and safety features on the vehicles. Late last month, as a result of James' persistence, the U.S. House passed a resolution that called attention to the increased risks of driving 15-passenger vans and encouraged drivers to get adequate training and safety information before they get behind the wheel.