Every year, more than 100 children die just outside their homes, in their own yards – a place where they should be safe. These deaths are called back-over deaths, when a person backing up in a car strikes the child, causing fatal injuries. In addition, thousands of children are injured every year – perhaps more – as the government doesn’t track these kinds of injuries.
KidsAndCars founder Janette Fennell talks about something called “the bye-bye syndrome,” where kids rush to say one last goodbye to a departing parent or grandparent. Children don’t realize that they can’t be seen by the driver, and the driver often believes that the child is still inside. This danger is compounded by the fact that more and more people are purchasing larger cars, including SUVs. The larger the vehicle, the larger the blind spot.
At present, there is no standard for rear visibility in auto manufacturing. For this reason, the national nonprofit safety organization KidsAndCars.org is currently advocating for a national standard for rear visibility. The “Safe, Accountable, Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users” was signed in 2005, which requires that methods for reducing death and injuries from back-overs be investigated.
In 2007, the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act passed, requiring that all U.S. marketed vehicles provide an unobstructed view of the rear. While the act doesn’t specify the use of cameras, LCD displays, or sensors, some manufacturers are using these technologies to comply with the act. This year, about 40% of new car models offer rear view cameras either standard or as an available option.
If you have an older car, or if you purchased a car that doesn’t have a rear view camera, there are a number of after-market suppliers that can provide you with cameras and sensors that will make your car safer. Some of these companies include Kenwood, Audiovox, Gentex, and Magna Donnelly. If you have young children home, they’re definitely worth looking into.
However, you need not – and perhaps should not – rely exclusively on technology. The best way to keep children safe when you’re backing up your vehicle is to check behind your vehicle before climbing in. Any children in the area should be stationed toward the front of the car where you can see them, and a person old enough to be responsible for keeping them there should stay with them until you’re finished backing up. If children are left inside when you’re leaving, make sure the responsible person with them knows exactly where they are and keeps them inside until you’ve gone.
It is also important to teach your children how to be safe around vehicles, both your own and those of neighbors, as well as service vehicles, such as garbage trucks and postal vehicles, that are regularly in your neighborhood. The exact language you should use should be age appropriate, but remember, when it comes to any child under age 8; an adult needs to be responsible for their safety at all time.
