Key facts about driveway accidents

• children injured in driveway accidents often suffer severe and sometimes fatal injuries; injuries typically involve significant trauma to the head, chest and lower limbs
• most children are injured on their own home driveway
• the greatest risk is to children under the age of five
• sadly it is most commonly the child’s own parent who is driving the vehicle when a child is hit
• in many cases, the driver reported seeing the child in a safe place before the accident
• driveway accidents are more common in summer, between December and February, when children are more likely to be playing outside
• most driveway accidents happen in the afternoon between 4pm and 7pm or in the morning between 10am and 12pm
• the occurrence of these tragic accidents has not changed significantly over the past 15 years but the good news is these deaths and injuries are preventable

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Key safety messages in preventing driveway injuries

• CHECK for children before driving off
• SUPERVISE children around vehicles - always
• SEPARATE play areas from driveways

 

 

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Checklist for keeping kids safe around driveways

• when you leave the house, shut the door securely so that children cannot run outside after you
• before driving off, make sure you know where all children are – check, check and check again
• if you’re on your own and need to move a vehicle, it’s safer to get the children to ride in the car with you
• remember most accidents happen when cars are reversing – be very sure to check your vehicle’s ‘blind spots’ whenever you are reversing
• hold children firmly by the hand whenever a vehicle is being moved
• if your driveway borders a play area, fence it

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Parents be careful!

Tragically in more than a third of cases it is the child’s own parent who is driving the vehicle involved. Our children are more likely to be run over in the driveway by their own mum or dad than anyone else. Other drivers who feature in the statistics include relatives, friends and neighbours and commercial drivers.

 

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What type of vehicle?

Large vehicles such as vans, trucks and four wheel drives are over-represented in driveway accidents. Drivers of these types of vehicles need to be especially careful. Better still, think driveway safety when buying your next vehicle – choose a model with better visibility.

 

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Download and print a leaflet with key safety messages

The following leaflets (in English, Maori, Samoan and Tongan) have been produced by Safekids, ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) and Plunket. They tell a parent's story of a driveway accident and promote the key safety messages:

• CHECK for children before driving off
• SUPERVISE children around vehicles - always
• SEPARATE play areas from driveways

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Where to go for more information

Safekids New Zealand
Safekids offer services designed to contribute to the reduction of childhood injury.
Address: Fifth Floor, Cornwall Complex, Building 15, 40 Claude Road, Epsom, Auckland
Postal address: PO Box 26 488, Epsom, Auckland
Phone: 64 9 630 9955
Fax: 64 9 630 9961
Email: infocentre@safekids.org.nz (To access data and materials from the Safekids National Information & Resource Centre)
Website: http://www.safekids.org.nz/

 

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Acknowledgements

Barfoot and Thompson. Keeping our kids safe as houses: Preventing driveway injuries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murphy, F., S. White and P. Morreau. 2002. Driveway-related motor vehicle injuries in the paediatric population: A preventable tragedy. The New Zealand Medical Journal. 115(1160): U148.

 

Safekids. 2002. Home driveway injuries and fatalities in the Auckland region.

 

Statistics in this fact sheet are based on the results of the study by Murphy, White and Morreau listed above. This was a study of all children aged 14 years and under who were admitted to Starship Hospital or died from injuries sustained on home driveways in the Auckland region between January 1998 and October 2001.

 

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Endorsement

This fact sheet was endorsed by PSNZ - 07/09/2007

Copyright

Fact sheets are subject to copyright. In the interests of information sharing they may be copied but acknowledgement must be given to PSNZ and Starship Foundation.
© The Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation 2005 - 2010

The Paediatric Society of New Zealand http://www.paediatrics.org.nz

Starship Foundation http://www.starship.org.nz