SALT LAKE CITY - During warm weather months, Utah children are at increased risk for being accidentally run over by a vehicle in a driveway or parking lot, most often by a parent or caregiver.
Since 1991, 1,427 children nationwide have died from injuries sustained in a backover or frontover, meaning the child was accidentally rolled over by a moving vehicle. In Utah, 62 children have died in backovers or frontovers since 1991. That’s the fifth highest number of such fatalities in the nation.
Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital Community Health Manager Jessica Strong says, while backup cameras can help with visibility, they also have significant blind spots at each corner. Strong says the best prevention is human intervention, and that you should follow these tips to help keep your kids safe:
- Walk completely around the car before getting in to drive
- Eliminate distractions (put phone away, turn off music
- Roll down windows and listen before backing
It is also important to supervise children when others are getting into the car, and every parent should teach their kids not to play around cars.
Visit primarychildren’s.org/safety for more information on Spot the Tot and other tips to keep kids safe this summer.
