Tragic accident... :(

[Gail]

I had to drive around this coming to work this morning. It is nearing noon and the traffic is still backed up...

Tragic accident

This brings to focus the problem of immigrant farm workers packing 16 people to a van suited for seven. We see it happening all the time here

[Woody]

Praise God Gail that you were not involved.

I imagine there will be law suits made with big money coming for the immigrants because of the wooden seats in there without seat belts.

[Gail]

I am hoping for a crackdown on unsafe vehicles and driving conditions...

[Gail]

Have a look at this picture in the updated report. The last time I looked the freeway was still shut down in both directions...

ill-fated van

[Dr. Shane]

Part of the problem is culture. In Latin America it is common to overcrowd vehicles. Once when I went on vacation I was going to bring our car seats for the kids but then I realized they wouldn't be able to use them because kids always sit on an adult's lap. They would never get their own seat.

Somehow immigrants need to be educated about what is and is not acceptable here. Drunk driving is either not illegal or not enforced in much of Latin America. (I remember once in Panama I saw a pint of whiskey on the dash of a parked car.) I think that is one of the reasons we have such a problem with immigrants driving drunk.

[Dr. Shane]

This article was talking about overcrowding a vehicle - putting more people in it than it has seatbelts. I related this to culture although I don't know if those in the van were Hispanic, Asian, American Indian or not. However, I also mentioned the issue of drunk driving as a side note. I recall a thread we had here before where it was shown the rate of drunk driving among immigrants is higher than it is among natives. While that is not excusable, it is understandable and the solution probably involves more than just enforcing the law stricter.

[Stan]

These immigrants who died, are someone's sister, brother, husband, wife, mother or/and father.

These immigrants who died, are the same unworthy people, as we are, and Christ died for.

These immigrants who died, have people close to their heart, who are hurting and need the comforter, as well as Christian direction and prayers.

As one who has immigrated to the land of our Heavenly home, it irritates me when 'Immigrants' are marginalized into "those people".

[Halfstep Denise]

This tragic accident did not happen in the U.S.! It happened in Canada. We cannot "judge" any issues in this tragedy by laws here in the U.S.!

Gail and Stan, I am so happy that neither of you were involved in this accident!

Halfstep Denise

[Gail]

The unfortunate thing about this type of incident is that from the news report speculation it appears to be a case of mistreatment of the farm workers by the owner of the vehicle, namely transporting them without proper safety features

And sadly this is a well-known practise among the local farmers here. We who live here know it- we've seen this situation many times, where a van is packed sardine-like with people.

And as much as we don't like to pinhole folks into the "immigration" class, that's exactly what it appears to be. According to the news report I've heard, it is established non-native born Canadians who are taking advantage of newly landed Indian immigrants in this way. And we know that- we live here and live among these people.

This accident just brings to mind a situation that should be addressed, that is the exploitation of minimum wage workers. They should at least be entitled to a safe work environment and not have to be subjected to conditions that we ourselves would not tolerate.

[Woody]

Yes Gail ... They are entitled to a safe work environment.

One problem is the problem of culture that was mentioned previously. In the countries that these immigrants came from ... there are not laws to protect them. They are used to the unsafe packing in of transportation. So ... they do not realize their "rights" in THIS country.

One thing that might help is to educate them of their rights in the United States. Then they might be able to put pressure on the employers. Education is powerful. No it will not immediately solve the issue but I have to feel it would help over time.

[Stan]

The immigrants should not be oppressed just because they are immigrants. We are a civilized nation, and we must be a just society.

[Gail]

The immigrants should not be oppressed just because they are immigrants. We are a civilized nation, and we must be a just society.

My point exactly.

[Jeannieb43]

From the photos it appears not even seatbelts would have saved the ones in the middle, where the van was "impaled" on the median, causing the roof to collapse to the floor. Of course seatbelts would have prevented the ones who were thrown out the windows from becoming missiles. Hydroplaning on standing water is a real danger. I've read that in wet weather one should avoid driving in either the far right or far left lanes, because there the water tends to puddle up. Highways are built curved, it seems.

[Dr. Shane]

Most roads are built with what we call a crown in the middle. That is not always true, sometimes they are built to drain off to one side.

I have no problem believing local farmers were taking advantage of these folks. And like Redwood mentioned, since they were conditions similar to the countries they came from, they wouldn't have thought to report it. The farmers could buy used school buses at a reasonable price to transport workers and the cost wouldn't be much more. I suspect it is just laziness that they don't. Certainly they need to be held accountable.

Paul compares spiritual gifts in the church to the parts of the body and how one isn't more important than the other. Our economies work in a similar way. In order for our nations to function we need bakers, cashiers, bus drivers, construction workers, salespeople, utility workers, etc. The jobs that are less important are those in industries of luxury and entertainment because those are not needs. Agricultural workers are required by every society in order for one of the most basic needs. I often drive past fields of onions, melons, cabbage and other produce and see men working in the field. These are hard working men providing for their families. One cannot help but have respect for that.

[Gail]

The latest information I have is that the van was registered as a bus. This would mean that the owner wouldn't have been required to provide seat belts for everyone, like a school bus.

This is just sad.

[Woody]

A SAD technicality Gail.

[Stan]

Gail, do you know if they all are Indians?

[Woody]

Hey Stan ... Are you still weight lifting for the Olympics? OR have you given up on that? I don't see you exercising any more.

[Gail]

Gail, do you know if they all are Indians?

No.

[Gail]

Here is a follow-up article, as the provincial Liberal government is blamed for regulations regarding farm labourers which might facilitate similar accidents:

Quote:

Provincial gov't blamed for failing to protect farm workers

John Colebourn

The Province

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Labour leaders and Opposition members lashed out at the Liberal government yesterday, blaming them for failing to protect farm workers.

"There's nobody inspecting the vans used to transport the workers,'' said Charan Gill, secretary-treasurer of the Surrey-based Canadian Farmworkers Union. "They say they go on the farms to inspect but they don't any more. The conditions for farm workers haven't improved."

Gill notes that in 2003 B.C. introduced labour laws that excluded farm workers from hours of work, overtime and statutory holiday pay. Those changes often mean a farm worker might not have slept much before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, he said.

Gill said vehicles are often overloaded and lack seat-belts.

"They need more inspectors to send a message they do care about farm workers," added Gill.

Meanwhile, the crash spurred Opposition NDP members to press the government for increased inspections and protections.

MLA Raj Chouhan, a former president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union, noted similar accidents in the past.

"We have had these accidents before. We have seen deaths on the roads," he said, urging the government to take action now.

"Without comprehensive field inspections, this government has no way of knowing if contractors are complying with vehicle registrations."

But Solicitor-General John Les, responding for the government, accused the NDP of using the tragedy to wage a political attack.

"I would suggest, with respect, actually, that it is immoral to use a tragedy like this to try and score some political points," he said.

"What is appropriate at this point is to allow the investigation to proceed and come to the proper conclusion."

B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair waded in, saying more inspections were needed.

"We've seen too many accidents like this," he said. "Again and again we learn we need more inspections and better enforcement of safety laws."

And Bruce Johnson, general manager of the Langley-based Farm and Ranch Safety Association, said the accident sends a message.

"It is something that has to be addressed," he said. "There needs to be tighter regulations."

© The Vancouver Province 2007