KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Across the county, millions of kids are in the path of danger every day — in parking lots, neighborhoods and often their own driveways.
In the U.S. at least 50 children are backed over by vehicles every week.
The danger prompted the new rear visibility standard that went into effect in May 2018. It forces automakers to install backup camera systems in all new cars.
But there’s a threat that often goes unnoticed, lurking in front of large vehicles.
"What people don’t know is just like behind the vehicle, there's this blind zone in front of a vehicle where a little child just can’t be seen," Amber Rollins said.
Rollins works with KidsandCars.org, a national nonprofit aimed at keeping kids safe around vehicles.
Between 1996 and 2003, 50 children died in so-called “frontover” incidents. It’s the opposite of a backover incident when a driver doesn’t see the child in a parking lot or driveway.
From 2004 to 2017, the number of frontover child deaths shot up to 808.
“That's what we miss a lot about her — her infamous hugs. Harper gave the best hugs,” Whitney Rodden said.
Her 14-month-old daughter Harper died in Olathe almost two years ago. Someone ran over her at a home daycare. The driver said he never saw her.
“Most victims are between 12 to 23 months old. As our vehicles have grown, so has the danger,” Rollins said.
Chris Lovely’s 22-month-old daughter Kirby loves to play outside. He said he’s always cautious about driving in the neighborhood.
“You’re so worried about backing up and hitting something behind you,” Lovely said.
41 Action News tested how far he could see in front of his SUV.
Could he spot his own daughter playing in the front of the vehicle? The test revealed Lovely couldn’t even spot the tops of Kirby’s curly hair until at least six feet.
“It’s definitely eye-opening. It makes you think. As parents, we’re always rushing around. We have to be extra careful,” Lovely said.
Some vehicles have automatic frontal crash braking systems. More tests are being done on more advanced versions of the technology, but they are not required as standard equipment.
There are some steps parents can take now to try to prevent frontover and backover crashes.
KidsandCars.org created this safety tip list:
- Walk completely around and behind a vehicle prior to moving it.
- Know where your kids are. Make children move away from your vehicle to a place where they are in full view before moving the car and know that another adult is properly supervising children before moving your vehicle.
- Teach children that “parked” vehicles might move. Let them know that they can see the vehicle, but the driver might not be able to see them.
- Consider installing cross view mirrors, audible collision detectors, rear view video camera and/or some type of front sensor detection device.
- Measure the size of your blind zone (area) in front of the vehicle(s) you drive. Many drivers cannot see a young child 6-8 feet in front of larger vehicles.
- Be aware that steep inclines and large SUVs, vans and trucks add to the difficulty of seeing around a vehicle.
- Hold children’s hands when leaving the vehicle.
- Teach your children to never play in or around a vehicle.
- Keep toys and other sports equipment off the driveway.
- Homeowners should trim landscaping around the driveway to ensure they can see the sidewalk, street and pedestrians clearly when backing out or entering their driveway. Pedestrians also need to be able to see a vehicle pulling out of the driveway.
- Never leave children alone in or around cars; not even for a minute.
- Keep vehicles locked at all times; even in the garage or driveway and always set your parking brake.
- Keys and/or remote openers should never be left within reach of children.
- Make sure all child passengers have left the car after it is parked.
- Be especially careful about keeping children safe in and around cars during busy times, schedule changes and periods of crisis or holidays.
Whitney Rodden said she carries the memory of her daughter Harper everywhere. She recently visited Washington D.C. to share her story in hopes of preventing anyone else from feeling her pain.
“Grief is not fun to go through and it's why I’m vocal about it. Because it's like shredding every cell in your body,” Rodden said.
The Rodden family created a program called Harper’s Hugs to raise awareness. In addition to her love of giving hugs, Harper also loved bears. The family decided to collect stuffed teddy bears to give to children dealing with traumatic experiences. The plan that started small is now a global effort. Harper’s Hugs has helped hundreds of children in the U.S. and other countries.
To read more about the organization, click here.
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