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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 3, 2001)
Vans more likely to roll over ■ New data reveals that passenger vans carrying more than 10 people may pose a greater threat to occupants By Hank Hager Oregon Daiiy Emerald The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has cautioned universities and organizations across the country about the possibility of fatal injuries in roll-over accidents involving passenger vans. According to the report, loading 10 or more peo ple into 15-passenger vans heightens the possibility of the vehicle rolling over during a crash. The report also said vans with fewer than five passengers stand a 12.3 percent chance of rolling over during a crash. Vans with 10 to 15 passengers have a 29.1 percent chance of tipping over, and those with more than 15 passengers rolled over in 70 percent of the crashes. Data was taken from wrecks record ed in Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Utah from 1994 to 1997. Dan Geiger, coordinator of the Outdoor Program, said he questions the report’s findings, because the figures released do not specify the characteristics of the study. He also questioned the final figure, saying there should never be more than 15 passengers placed in a van specifi cally made to fit 15. It should be “based on what you can safely put in the van,” he said. He said the Outdoor Program cur rently uses vans that weigh one ton, which he said decreases the possi bility of the van rolling over. Greg Goracke, associate athletic director at Oregon State University, said the school has attempted to phase out using vans for its athletic teams as much as possible. “We want to take the element of risk out of our athletes’ hands,” he said. He said the Athletic Department encourages its teams to use buses whenever possible. There are times though, when teams have to use vans to get to events. Sandra Vaughn, recreation coor dinator for the EMU, said she appre ciates the information the NHTSA has provided and will use it when scheduling trips. But, she said, most trips taken by Club Sports teams do not have a full load. “It’s difficult to take a full load in these vans,” she said, adding the amount of equipment and personal luggage makes it tough for teams to use less than two vans. There have been reported inci dents of accidents at the University involving passenger vans, one as re cently as last week. Vaughn said members of the Club Sports baseball team were involved in a minor “fender-bender” while traveling on Interstate 5 last week, though no damage was done to the team’s vehicle. No players suffered injuries. Gregg Lobisser, director of student activities in the EMU, said he re members an incident approximately 10 years ago involving University students and a passenger van. Al though he could not recall specific facts from the incident, he said the driver, a University student, became drowsy. The student then overcom pensated to avoid a crash and caused an accident, but fortunately there were no serious injuries. Lobisser said the University needs to acknowledge the report. “It’s certainly something we should be aware of as a University and EMU and ASUO programs,” he said. “It’s good to be mindful of it.” Lobisser said the University is do ing a good job of educating poten tial drivers on the safety of the road. “You could say we’re a little bit ahead of the curve in the education we do,” he said, but added that “we need to incorporate some of [the NHTSA’s] information into our thinking.” s20,000 to student winners or teams *10,000 to their advisor plus *2,000 gift certificates to hpshopping.com up to six prizes will be awarded entry deadline: june 1,2001 applications at www.invent.org/coilegiate the collegiate inventors competition The Collegiate Inventors Competition is the leading program in the world honoring student inventors. Each year, the most outstanding student/advisor teams are recognized for their innovative work. A PROGRAM OF THE NATIONAL INVENTORS HALL OF FAME (330) 849-6887 presenting sponsors pa www.jobs.hp.com www.hpineducation.com CORNING Discovering Beyond Imagination www.corning.com %v. GOODYEAR www.goodyear.com ***** Trademark Office www.uspto.gov Calendar Thursday, May 3 EMU Craft Center Lonely Pot Sale of fers ceramics and other pottery. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Craft Center, Erb Memori al Union. For information, call 346 4361. Campus Planning Committee Meeting. Agenda includes updates on the Gilbert Hall project, 955 E. 13th Ave. project and the LTD Bus Shuttle. 2-3:30 p.m. Room 228, Chiles Business Cen ter. For information, call 346-5572. Humanities Lecture: Musicologist Kofi Agawu of Princeton discusses “Ethical Issues in the Representation of African Music” in a continuation of the "Engaging African Modernities” symposium from March. 4 p.m. Alum ni Lounge, Gerlinger Hall. Free. For information, call 346-3934. Recep tion follows. Comparative Literature Lecture: Fran co Moretti, Stanford University, dis cusses “On Bourgeois Seriousness." 4:30 p.m. Browsing Room, Knight Li brary. Free. For information, call 346 3986. Visiting Artist Lecture: Printmaker and University alumnusChristy Wyck off, Pacific Northwest College of Art, discusses his work-prints and paint ings, 1980-2000.6 p.m. Room 115, Lawrence Hall. Free. For information, call 346-3610. KoehnColloquium lecture: Homi K. Bhabha of the University of Chicago, a respected cultural critic and leading voice in postcolonial studies, discuss es "Space Agency: Ethics and the Enunciation of Equality.” 7 p.m. Room 177, Lawrence Hall. Free. For information, call 346-3631. Freeman Foundation Panel: “China and the World Economy: The Chal lenges of Sustainable Development” includes presentations by Changjin Sun, Chinese Academy of Social Sci ences; Jinlin Yang, Ministry of Fi nance; and Tom HuTao, State Envi ronmental Protection Administration, Beijing. 7:30 p.m. Room 128, Chiles Business Center. Free. For information, call 346-1521. Author Event: University alumnus Joseph Sutton reads from and signs copies of his loosely autobiographical book, "Morning Pages: The Almost True Story of My Life,” the tale of how a chance encounter leads the main character/narrator Ben Halaby to be gin each day writing his waking thoughts and, by turn, the story of his life. 7:30 p.m. Browsing Room, Knight Library. Free. For information, 346-4331, Ext. 228. China and the Wadd Ccenamif: If he Challenges o£ SustainaMe Development Shaw day, May 3 - SaneC Discussion She Waxtd Sxade Organization and Chinese Scwestxy Dr. Changjin Sun, Director, Research Center of Ecological and Environmental Economics (RCEEE) at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing China'6 Western ^Development Strategy and the Jntematianal Community: Meeting She Challenges of. SustainaBilitg Mr. Jinlin Yang, Director, International Financial Institutions Division II of International Department, Ministry of Finance of China, Beijing China '6 CLccetdion to the Would 5%ade VxganizaUan, dgxicultuve Policy, Change and Wo Cniwtanmental Jmpdcatiom Dr. Tom HuTao, Director of Environmental Economics Program of Policy Research Center of State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) of China, Beijing Univexoity, of Onegan - 128 CAileo Centex 7:3C pm This series is sponsored by the Freeman Foundation and Center for Asian and Pacific Studies. For more information, call 346-1521. Oregon Daily Emerald P.O. Box 3159, Eugene OR 97403 The Oregon Daily Emerald is published daily Monday through Friday during the school year and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the Uni versity of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. A member of the Associated Press, the Emerald operates independently of the University with offices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is pri vate property. The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law. ' > J"r t r.-, "v"f i11."" - NEWSROOM — (541)346-5511 Editor in chief: Jack Clifford Managing editor: Jessica Blanchard Community: Aaron Breniman, editor. Lindsay Buchele, Sue Ryan, reporters. Freelance: Jenny Moore, editor Higher education: Andrew Adams, editor. Brooke Ross, Hank Hager, reporters. Student activities: Emily Gust, editor Kara Cogswell, Beata Mostafavi, Lisa Toth, reporters. News aide: Ben Lacy. Perspectives: Michael Kleckner, editor. Rebeoa Newell, Pat Payne, Aaron McKenzie, Casey Holdahl, columnists. Pulse: Bevin Caffery, editor. Dave Depper, Mason West, reporters. Sports: Jeff Smith, editor. Peter Hockaday, Adam Jude, Robbie McCallum, reporters. Copy: Sara Lieberth, Katie Mayer, copy chiefs. Jessica Davison, Michael Kleckner, Julie Lauderbaugh, Lori Musicer, EricQualheim, Jessica Richelderfer, copyeditors. Online: Carol Rink, editor. Timur Insepov, webmaster. Design: Katie Miller, editor. Brooke Mossefin, Sean Graf, Russ Weller, designers. " 1 V I ) I I-!— T-rrr Bryan Dixon, Giovanni Salimena, illustrators. Photo: Tom Patterson, editor. Adam Amato, Jon House, R. Ashley Smith, photographers. BUSINESS — (541) S46-5512 Judy Riedl, general manager. Kathy Carbone, business supervisor. Sarah Goracke, receptionist. Masahiro Kojima, John Long, Jeff Neely, Laura Ramelli, Mike Chen distri bution. CLASSIFIEDS — (541) S46-4S4S Trina Shanaman, manager. 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