Klein & Carney Co., LLC
Klein & Carney Co., LLC

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Protect kids from backover accidents

On Behalf of | Sep 25, 2019 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

Many Ohio parents may worry that their child will get hit by a car if he or she runs into the street. However, they may not consider the possibility that a car might back over their child.

A backover accident occurs when drivers do not see a child and hit him or her as they reverse. According to KidsandCars.org, the latest statistics indicate that 12,000 children incurred injuries after getting backed over by a car in 2015, while 284 children died. Children under the age of five are most likely to get struck by a reversing car. These accidents usually occur because a child is in a car’s blind spots. Vehicles may have a blind spot that extends up to 25 feet behind the back of the car. This means that even if children are not directly behind the car, a driver still may not see them.

It is important for parents to make sure their young children are safe around cars. People may want to make sure small children do not walk through parking lots by themselves and may want to keep kids in a shopping cart or stroller. It is also a good idea for parents to teach their children that parked cars might start moving.

Many parents may think their child is only at risk of a backover accident in parking lots. Safe Kids Worldwide says that these incidents can also happen in driveways, so it is important for people to take precaution at home. If children want to play in the driveway, parents should usually set up a safe space. This should generally be an area where cars do not park. Additionally, people may want to put up cones so cars cannot pull in. It is also a good idea for parents to walk around their car before they drive away. Some parents may want to make sure an adult supervises the kids whenever someone has to leave so they know the children are not near the vehicle.