One of the most cited backover accident statistics is based on a 2014 report from the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In a study conducted from 2008-2011, the NHTSA found 50 children in the U.S. are backed over every week because a driver couldn’t see them. Of this total, at least two kids are fatally injured.
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eTags, your online registration renewal and titling company, discovered 60% of these backover incidents involve a large pickup truck, van or SUV-like of vehicle. And worse even, in 70% of the time the driver behind the wheel is a parent or relative.
Most victims of backover victims are one- to -two- year olds
What are some of the causes for backover incidents
• The blind zone mentioned above. The driver can’t see (literally) what’s behind them. It’s important to understand it’s not just a blindspot, it’s a blind zone
• Children don’t understand the concept of boundaries such as property lines, sidewalks, driveways, parking spots
• Children are reactive, unpredictable and impulsive, they also don’t comprehend the dangers of a slow-moving vehicle
• Children believe that if they can see the car, the driver can see them
• As states reopen during the coronavirus, there’s a new threat to children with more online orders, leading to home delivery drivers and their delivery trucks. There seems to be an uptick in backover accidents in the 2020 pandemic
On average 232 fatalities and 13,000 injuries occur every year due to backover accidents.
Safety tips to prevent children backover accidents
• A rear visibility standard was issued on April 7, 2014 as mandated by the Cameron
Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act. The Dept. of Transportation issued a ruling to expand the required field for all passenger vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds. The new standard specified the area that must be visible when vehicle is reversing
• As of May 2018, all motor vehicles sold or leased in the U.S. must have backup cameras or rearview cameras
• If you don’t’ have a new car, you can purchase and install a rearview camera and/or sensors on a used vehicle
• Get in the habit of walking around your entire car or SUV, before getting in to drive
• Always have another adult supervising your children, whether inside the house or out
• In parking lots, always hold hands with your kids
• Educate your children about driving safety; explain that a parked vehicle CAN move, that it’s possible for the driver NOT to see them
In May 2020, a 3-year-old girl from Kansas was struck by a GMC delivery truck that was backing out of the driveway. Sadly, she died at the scene.
• Teach children to never play around the driveway, or around a vehicle; designate a play area in the backyard or clearly away from the driveway
• Keep all outside toys, outside of the driveway. So no bicycles, skateboards, basketball nets, trampoline, or anything “fun” around the vehicle
• Keep your landscaping neat and maintain yard work for a clear view; don’t forget to trim bushes around your immediate sidewalk
• When reversing, do so with windows rolled down, so you can hear warnings; radio off
• Inside the home, you can add an extra layer of protection with extra locks on certain doors; think garage, screen doors, balcony doors and the like. That’s how children can slip out
• Make sure all your vehicle’s technology and sensors are working properly, especially during wintertime when snow and ice can cover certain areas
