Reversing Dangers - tragic deaths of children

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Tragically, it seems another child has been killed by a parent/guardian reversing their vehicle in their driveway.

NT News: 1yr old killed by reversing vehicle

This is on the back of the incident just the other day in Sydney (Toddler killed by reversing vehicle).

These are tragic but avoidable events. Not sure why they seem to be occurring more often at the moment.

[KAKADAZ Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close KAKADAZ]

My wife said she saw an article listing the Prado and Kluger as top too safest cars for reversing. I agree all the cameras help but I remember a rugby star ran over his child fortunately he survived yet he had a new prado Kakadu. So having cameras is great IF you use them, I think everyone is in such a hurry nowadays things get overlooked. Very sad

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

I don't think you can't go past the basic rule, which I still apply with my three kids (youngest now 8yrs). Make sure I can see them all - or have them in the car with me - when reversing.

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

I don't think you can't go past the basic rule, which I still apply with my three kids (youngest now 8yrs). Make sure I can see them all - or have them in the car with me - when reversing.

I agree, I have my 5 year old in the car with me or standing in view before i move the car! its the safest way!

I think there may be an increased reliance of reversing cameras these days too, yes they do allow the drivers to see quite a bit of what is below the rear window. but they do not show what is happening outside of the cameras view. And if the driver is so busy staring at the centre console how would they ever see the toddler if the happen venture to close the the rear of the car suddenly. Something that may have been picked up had they been using the mirrors and turning around?

[xlr8_87 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close xlr8_87]

As said above, I think all of these sensors and cameras give people a false sense of hope. I don't care if they don't have any blind spots there's nothing to say the kid won't run behind the car all of a sudden.
Very sad, all you can do is that others learn from these terrible tragedies.

[MDS69 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MDS69]

My wife said she saw an article listing the Prado and Kluger as top too safest cars for reversing. I agree all the cameras help but I remember a rugby star ran over his child fortunately he survived yet he had a new prado Kakadu. So having cameras is great IF you use them, I think everyone is in such a hurry nowadays things get overlooked. Very sad

That was Phil Kearns driving a Touareg

[foxclan Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close foxclan]

Tragedies like these always send a shiver down my spine and my sympathy goes out to the families involved.
Children are certainly unpredictable around vehicles and firm ground rules need to be set.
There is nothing better than arriving home from work to see the excitement on the little ones face at Dads return.
Like wise when heading out for the day the kids can be very excited about the outing. However while mum and dad are loading the car.
The old I thought you where watching them can come into play.
It comes down to being slightly militant about it. Kids: standing to the side of the car looking at the driver until it has stopped moving.
Driver: checking to see that all kids are in view before moving.

I see our neighbours children whom have the run of the house,yard,driveway and road, allowed to get out of the car themselves walk next to the curb, walk onto the road to pick some thing up they have dropped while mum is carrying shopping through the gate into the house. Great let them be free spirits but for f*cks sakes keep them off of the street.

My thoughts on the subject sorry for the rant.

[mickmac_42 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mickmac_42]

My missus reversed straight into my mates car that was parked in the driveway, and that's despite having two large side mirrors, a rear view mirror, reversing camera, reversing sensors and the mk1 eyeball. Didn't bother to use any of that because she was on autopilot having done the same manouever a million times before without incident. Just shows that if she can miss seeing a large stationary object like a car, our mobile little 2yo doesn't stand a chance.

End result, driveway fenced off from front yard and no little people allowed out there without a big person holding their hand.

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

End result, driveway fenced off from front yard and no little people allowed out there without a big person holding their hand.

That is the best proactive approach to safety I have heard of, I went the opposite direction - grassed both sides of my driveway so the kids have a bigger play area out the front, however, the kids do not play out there without an adult present and additionally little ones have been very strickly disiplined in appropriate behaviour around both moving and stationary cars. Doesn't work for a two year old though, they have to ride in the car with me - special treat of front seat when moving cars around in the front yard and driveway!!!

My thoughts on the subject sorry for the rant.

Ranting is a good thing on topics like these, no need to apologise.

[letsgoplaces Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close letsgoplaces]

First i must say it is an absolute tradgedy.
As others have said, all the gadgets in the world may help but don't necessarily prevent accidents. The other night i was extremely tired, had parked the car in a different spot and the next time i reversed, being on auto pilot i backed into the letterbox. The kids weren't around, but when they are they are either in the car with me or waving goodbye from the porch with their mum as i leave for work

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

ABC news story

These comments in this article annoy me and presumes that 4wd's are most dangerous. In my view, any 1-2 ton object driven over a child is likely to kill. It also fails to address the underlying issues (ie unsupervised children u5yrs of age near vehicle and basic driver inattention). As tragic as all these deaths are, the first question that needs to be asked is wtf was an under 5yr old child doing outside near a car without direct supervision?

Kidsafe Queensland chief executive Susan Teerds says the numbers are significant and statistics are likely to show that up to 500 children were run over and injured or killed in a driveway this year.

"Four-wheel-drives are more likely to do the majority of killing, four-wheel-drives and small trucks, because they're a heavier vehicle with wider tires.

"When you're talking in the toddler age group it basically means that because they've got wider tyres [and] they're more likely to run over more of the body. And toddlers have, in relationship to the rest of the body, the head's quite large, so there's a good chance you'll run over chest, neck, head."

The United States plans to make reversing cameras mandatory in all cars within two years but Ms Teerds says parents should not let devices like cameras lull them into a false sense of security.

"If you have a reversing camera, don't rely on it. It is a definite aid but a child is quick and unpredictable and they're likely to just run behind your car," she said.

[robbo792 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close robbo792]

I don't think they are completely of the mark. If the unthinkable was to happen to our 2 Year old on our driveway I would Think his chance of survival would be 10 x better in our hatch than prado.

We follow the same rules as most, kids in the car or standing in view with an adult. But being task focused and/or making assumption has cought both me and the the wife out once or twice(thinking the kids were at the neighbors with my wife for example). My heart always goes out to the families when I here stories like this.

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

I think in the end its not the car they should be looking at its the parents (or people in general).

I don't think that saying 4wd drive are the main issue is addressing the problem even slightly, i don't want my child run over by a hatch back anymore than i want them run over by a 4wd or a truck. It doesn't matter it the hatch back is lighter and has thin tyres, or the 4wd has larger tyres and more weighty. the end result of inattention is a child being run over. Something that could have and in all seriousness been avoided.