|
Every year, thousands of children are hurt or die because a driver backing up didn't see them.
KIDS AND CARS has documented thousands of incidents primarily involving children under the age of 4, who were backed over when a vehicle was backing up. These incidents for the most part took place outside in residential driveways or parking lots.
KIDS AND CARS urges all adults to heighten their awareness before they engage a vehicle into reverse; especially when children are present. Young children are impulsive and unpredictable; still have very poor judgment, and little understanding of
danger. In addition young children do not recognize boundaries such as property lines, sidewalks, driveways or parking spaces. Toddlers have established independent mobility between the ages of 12-23 months, but the concept of personal safety is absent. Backovers are often the
predictable consequence of a child following a parent into the driveway without their knowledge.
Backovers can happen in any vehicle because all vehicles have a blind zone; the area behind a vehicle you can’t see from the driver’s seat. The danger tends to increase with larger vehicles.
It’s always best to look carefully behind the vehicle before you get in and again before you put the car in gear and back up. Remember to back up slowly, and pay attention to your mirrors.\
KIDS AND CARS recommendations to keep children safe include:
-
Walk around and behind a vehicle prior to moving it.
-
Know where your kids are. Make children move away from your vehicle to a place where they are in full view before moving the car and know that another adult is properly supervising children before moving
your vehicle.
-
Teach children that “parked” vehicles might move. Let them know that they can see the vehicle; but the driver might not be able to see them.
-
Although you are already considering purchasing a backup warning system, you might also want to consider installing cross view mirrors to add even more protection.
-
Measure the size of your blind zone (area) behind the vehicles you drive. A 5-foot-1-inch driver in a pickup truck can have a rear blind spot of 7 feet wide by 50 feet long.
-
Be aware that steep inclines and large SUV’s, vans and trucks add to the difficulty of seeing behind a vehicle.
-
Teach your children to never play in, around or behind a vehicle.
-
Keep toys and other sports equipment off the driveway.
-
Never leave children alone in or around cars; not even for a minute.
-
Keep vehicles locked at all times; even in the garage or driveway.
-
Keys should never be left within reach of children.
-
Always make sure all child passengers have left the car after it is parked.
-
Be especially careful about keeping children safe in and around cars during busy times, schedule changes and periods of crisis or holidays.
These precautions can save lives.
For additional information, visit the Kids And Cars website at
www.KidsAndCars.org
(this opens up a new browser window)
| 