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Car Safety and Awareness – Precautions Can Save Lives
Source: Frontover Facts - Kids and Car Safety
Frontovers and Backovers:
Source: Home - Kids and Car Safety
Every year, children get injured or die from a forward or backward moving car, because the driver did not see them. These instances frequently take place in residential driveways or parking lots.
Frontovers:
- In 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that frontovers were responsible for 15,000 injuries and 366 deaths
- 75% of frontovers happen with larger vehicles – like trucks, vans and SUVs
- The driver had known the child in 61% of the incidents – whether a parent, family member or friend
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About 93% of frontover victims are under the age of 6 years old
- Children younger than 6 years old are often unpredictable, have little understanding of danger, and lack a lot of impulse control
Backovers:
- In 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that backovers were responsible for 12,000 injuries and 284 deaths
- At least 50 children in the United States are backed over every week – 48 are treated in hospitals and 2 are fatalities
- Over 60% of backovers happen with larger vehicles
- The driver had known the child in 70% of backover incidents – parent, family member or friend
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The Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a rule that for all passenger vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds, the back of a vehicle must be visible to the driver when the vehicle is in reverse
- After 2018, all motor vehicles sold or leased come with a rearview camera as standard equipment
Common Circumstances:
- Bye-Bye Syndrome – a child slips out of the home unnoticed and follows their loved one that is leaving into the driveway without the driver’s knowledge
- Parking lot dart outs – children run out in front of a moving vehicle in the parking lot and the driver does not see them or does not have enough time to stop before hitting the child
- Playing in the driveway, front yard, cul-de-sac, or apartment complex parking lot – the children are often still too young to recognize their safe boundaries within these locations
Safety Tips:
Source: Home - Kids and Car Safety
- Drivers should heighten their awareness before driving their vehicle, especially when children are present
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Walk completely around your vehicle to scan the area for children or pets before moving the vehicle
- If you can hear or see children, make sure there is a supervising adult with them
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Create habits to ensure that your children are directly supervised every time someone is arriving or leaving your house
- An example is verbally and visually confirming that all children are with a supervising adult, and that adult should stay with the children until the car is turned completely off or the vehicle is out of sight
- If you need to move your vehicle and there is no other adult present, make sure your children move to a place away from the vehicle and where you can clearly see them or put them in the vehicle with you
- Roll down the driver’s side window when in reverse, so you can hear if someone is warning you to stop
- Many vehicles have emergency braking, or cameras/sensors, but there are still many that do not – so it is recommended to purchase a 360-degree camera or sensor system that can be installed on ANY vehicle
- Since many of these accidents happen when a child sneaks out of the home, it is recommended to have door alarms installed in the house, or use childproofing door knobs and handle covers
Teach your children:
- Parked vehicles might move – warning signs are engine running, red brake lights on, white reverse lights on, or smoke coming from the exhaust pipe
- The driver may not be able to see the child
- Never walk behind or in front of a running vehicle
- Never play in parking lots, driveways, streets, or cul-de-sacs without an adult supervising
- When walking on sidewalks, watch for cars pulling into or leaving the driveway
Source: Backovers: Charts, Data, Visuals - Kids and Car Safety
Thank you for helping keep our children safe in Indiana! Please feel free to contact Olivia Hesler at ohesler@health.in.gov with any questions or to request additional information!