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Children need to be monitored at all times around vehicles, especially when a car is backing out. Children can run quickly and, because the driver has limited sight in their mirrors, the driver may not see the child until it is too late. According to safety advocates KidsandCars.com, approximately 48 children are injured ever week from backover accidents. As a Detroit injury attorney, safety is my primary concern. Therefore all drivers should be careful when backing up in places where there may be children playing.
The biggest problem is that mirrors can create a false sense of security that the area behind a driver is clear, when in reality there is a child playing right behind it. In most cases, these accidents occur in a driveway and involve a family or friend of the child. Therefore if a child is in the yard playing, the driver needs to know exactly where the child is before they back out. If a driver can’t see the child, they should make sure that the child is not behind the vehicle.
Parents also should be diligent in teaching their children not to play in or around vehicles. Children are naturally drawn to cars because they are large machines that pique the child’s interest. They need to be aware that these vehicles are not toys and they need to stay away from them if they are not a passenger. Still, children being children, it is impossible to predict what a child might do. Therefore, ultimate responsibility falls on the adult driver in keeping children safe and preventing injury.
Fortunately, new cars come with safety options that could potentially substantially reduce the number of backover injuries. Specifically, rear-mounted cameras can show a driver exactly what is behind them as they are backing out. Unlike mirrors, these cameras can see everything that is behind the vehicle, including children.
As a Detroit injury attorney, it is extremely difficult to see these children injured or killed by such a preventable accident. Everyone needs to be careful when backing out to make sure that any children present are safe. Just taking an extra moment can potentially save child’s life.
If you have been injured in an auto accident or other incident, contact Davis Law Center right away to discuss your options.