Safe Kids Clark County News Articles
Written on Wednesday, April 11th, 2007
“Spot the Tot” to Prevent Backover Deaths
Between 1994 and 2004, there were 392 backover fatalities nationally. Most of the victims were age 12-23 months. A 2005 CDC study reports that over 2400 children every year are treated in emergency rooms after being struck by a vehicle moving in reverse. These are scary statistics, especially since we hear about it locally on the news every year as well. It does strike close to home at all socioeconomic levels. Children follow an unaware mom or dad out to the car, truck, SUV, or van and tragedy ensues. But you can prevent this tragedy from ever happening with a quick 5 second walk around your vehicle.
Spot the Tot is a new Safe Kids program that teaches parents to walk around their vehicle to check for children, pets, or toys before entering and moving the vehicle. With vehicles being larger, blind spots are also larger and children and pets close to the ground are impossible to see, especially if they are near the bumper. Walking around the vehicle ensures the area is clear and you can move the vehicle safely. For more information on backover safety, visit KidsandCars.org.
What else can you do?
- Know where your children are at all times.
- Always hold your child’s hand when in a parking lot.
- Have a designated spot at the side of the driveway or next to the front door that’s marked on the ground where the children stand whenever a vehicle is moved on your driveway.
- Buckle your children in their car seats when you move your vehicle.
- Teach your children that the white lights on the back of vehicles are backup lights and to watch for them, but also teach them that they don’t always work.
- Teach your children to make eye contact with the driver.
- Invest in blind spot mirrors, backup sensors, and/or backup cameras for your vehicle. Include them as an option if you’re buying a new vehicle.
- Don’t let children play on the driveway or around any vehicle.