We know that cars and young children are a potentially fatal combination however it may be surprising to know that one child, often a toddler, is run over in the driveway of their home every week in Australia.
The vehicle is usually reversing slowly and is often being driven by a relative or friend. Many children are killed and many that survive are left with severe long-term injuries.
Children are naturally inquisitive and want to see what's going on. In the time it takes for a driver to say goodbye and start the car, a child can move from a 'safe' position into the vehicle's path. Small children can be impossible to see from inside a car especially if they are immediately behind it. Young children are also at risk whenever cars or other vehicles could be about ... including off road areas such as car parks, footpaths, private roads, caravan parks , farms, unfenced front yards and play areas.
Following concerns from the NSW Parliament's Child Death review Team, the Motor Accidents Authority, with key agencies including the Early Childhood Road Safety Education Program, is working to reduce the incidence of these tragedies with a multi faceted approach including improving behaviour, modifying the driveway environment, and, changes to motor vehicles.
NRMA Insurance now considers reversing visibility as part of a standard range of tests when assessing new car performance. Results to date indicate that even the best vehicle has a blind area around 3 metres that could easily hide a child. See nrma.com.au/reversing for information on how cars have performed.
ECRSEP works collaboratively with various children's services including Road Safety Officers to build partnerships with families and their local community around road safety education by taking into account the children's needs. The Program offers continuing support to services around policies in relation to road safety, that reflect the local community in which these children and families reside. Early Childhood Educators are ideally placed to share road safety information with families, to help prevent these tradgic child deaths and injuries. We also have a duty of care to do all we can to make daily arrivals and departures safe for children and families.
In partnership with the Motor Accidents Authority, the NSW Roads And Traffic Authority and City of Ryde, The Early Childhood Road Safety Program have developed an interactive driveway safety display kit which highlights the difficulty drivers have in seeing small children behind reversing vehicles. Children Services can borrow the kit free of charge. It's designed to help raise family and community awareness of the dangers to children of reversing vehicles.
Young children are at risk whenever cars or other vehicles could be about ... including off road areas such as car parks, footpaths, driveways, private roads, caravan parks , farms, unfenced front yards and play areas. Traffic related injury is one of the leading causes of death and serious injury for young children.
Early Childhood Educators are ideally placed to share road safety information with families, to help prevent these tragic child deaths and injuries. We also have a duty of care to do all we can make daily arrivals and departures safe for children and families.
Four plywood statues (average height of an 18month old child)
Laminated driveway safety posters & fact sheets developed by the Early Childhood Road Safety Education Program
"Where are your Kids? Child safety in your driveway" Motor Accidents Authority brochure
A measuring tape, bluetack and chalk
A kids and Traffic Gazette about off road injury to young children
A driveway safety display survey to use with participants
Burgio, A. & Harrison, L. (2003). Building bridges: Using road safety education to develop partnerships between children's services, families and local communities across NSW.
Edwards, J. & Paine, M.(2003). Off road toll-children at risk in driveways, yards and carparks.
Fegan, M., Chapman, J., & Harrison, L. (2002). Driveway safety project: A partnership to promote child road safety in the Ryde community.
Henderson, M.(2000). Child deaths and injuries in driveways: Response to the recommendation of the child death review team. Prepared for the Motor Accidents Authority of NSW.
Motor Accidents Authority.(2003). Driveway accident prevention: Tips for improving safety while reversing.
NRMA.(2003). Reversing visibility index.
Paine, M., & Henderson, M. (2001). Devices to reduce the risk to young pedestrians from reversing motor vehicles. Prepared for the Motor Accidents Authority of NSW.
