When we think of a car accident, we often think of two cars colliding, airbags exploding, and glass shattering. Maybe you think of a spin-out in the rain or imagine a drunk driver turning off the road and into a ditch. No matter what images come to mind when you think of a car accident, chances are that you don’t think of a child being injured outside of the car. Still, there are many different accidents involving cars that don’t involve an actual crash. One of the worst of these is a driveway rollover accident, which occurs when a driver backs into a child that is behind the vehicle in the driveway or parking lot.

According to the National Safety Council, children die every single year in driveway backover accidents. In 2007 alone, about 2,000 were injured when vehicles backed over them because they did not see the child behind them. About 99 children died according to the NHTSAs surveillance system. Even with better technology that can notify a driver when he or she is backing towards a person or item behind the car, 50 percent of all men and women will still back over or into a barrier behind them. Because children are tiny, they may be invisible in your rearview mirror. One quick punch on the gas while in reverse may be all it takes to create a life-changing disaster. Minivans, SUVs, and Trucks can have the biggest blind zones behind them. Some larger cars also have blind zones in the front where a small child can move in front of the car and still not be visible in the front window.

In order to avoid a horrific driveway backover, you should take a 360 degree walk around your car before getting in. Check to make sure that there are no children near the car or no toys that you could back over. You should also check for pets and any items that may have been set out on the driveway. As well, you should make sure that your children are in the home before backing out of the driveway. Some children may run out to wave goodbye to their parents and end up standing behind the car. You should teach your children to never play in or around vehicles or stand in the driveway when a car is moving out. By teaching them important safety tips you may be able to help the children to avoid a horrible accident someday.

As well, you should consider involving a rearview camera in your car or purchasing a sensor system to reduce your blind zone. You cannot rely on these technologies to eliminate 100 percent of all accidents, but you can be sure that they will help to notify you when there is a child or an item behind your vehicle. As well, you should back up very slowly. Never accelerate in a driveway or when in reverse. This can become fatal if there is someone behind you who has not noticed that you are moving towards them. By moving slowly you will give people behind the car time to get out of the way. Be especially careful during hectic times such as family gatherings or holidays.

When there are more children running around there is a higher chance of a devastating injury. If your child was injured or killed in a backover driveway accident, then contact a car accident attorney today to seek compensation from the party at fault. For example, if your neighbor backed over your child or a visitor at your house hit your child when moving backwards, then you have the right to sue the offender for damages. Contact a car accident attorney today for more information.