NHTSA Campaign Targets Child Safety

Sometimes it’s tough being seen by drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,280 pedestrians were killed in 2010.

As hard as detection is sometimes for drivers to avoid hitting adult pedestrians, the challenge is even greater to see those little human beings who aren’t even as tall as a car window. The NHTSA reports that many children are killed or seriously injured in backover accidents. The short stature of a child makes it difficult for him or her to be seen by drivers, and backover accidents can happen when a vehicle exiting a driveway or parking spot backs over an unattended child. The NHTSA offers some prevention tips to keep kids safe:

  • Teach kids that the area behind a car is a no-go zone, and tell them why.
  • Teach kids that they should never play in or around cars.
  • Keep an eye on kids when they are in or around vehicles.
  • Walk around your vehicle, always, before you get in and back it up.
  • Pay attention when little kids are around, and be aware you might not see them.
  • Teach kids that when a driver gets in a car or starts a car, they need to move away.
  • Teach kids to stand to the side of the driveway, not in it, or on the sidewalk beside the driveway so that you, or anybody else backing out of a driveway or parking space can see them.
  • Always look behind you and back up slowly in case a child runs behind your vehicle at the last moment.
  • Watch extra carefully for kids if you are driving a large vehicle. Large vehicles have bigger blind spots. Roll down your window as you back up so you can hear if kids are near that you can’t see.
  • Teach kids that toys, bikes, skateboards, and anything they play with should not be left in the driveway.
  • Check your mirrors constantly while backing up. Kids can dash in and move in your direction of travel unexpectedly.
  • Don’t rely solely on detection devices in your car, such as backup cameras or warning sounds, to tell you if something or someone is in the way. Always physically walk around your car before you get in and back up.

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