Apr 8, 2010 | 2 min read

Before you turn the key; make sure you can see

Happy Spring from KidsAndCars.org!!

As we all welcome the warmth of the new season, no one is more excited about the change of seasons than our children. After a long winter of indoor activities they are ready to get outside to run and play. This is also the time of year that we need to re-double our efforts to ensure the safety of our children in and around motor vehicles. How can we do that?

The CBS Early Show aired an excellent segment about the dangers of blind zones behind all vehicles on April 7, 2010. They did an excellent job educating viewers about how to protect children. You can view the segment at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/07/earlyshow/contributors/susankoeppen/main6371208.shtml?tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea

· Walk all the way around your vehicle prior to moving it.

· Know where your children (or neighbor’s children) are before moving a vehicle. 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 back up detection device.

We know of at least 31 children who have died already this year because they could not be seen behind or in front of a vehicle in a driveway or parking lot. Fifteen of those children died in the last 5 weeks. Knowing that over 70% of the drivers responsible for the death of these children in backovers/frontovers are direct relatives of those children (Dad, Mom, Grandparents, older siblings, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, etc.) should help us better understand the magnitude of these tragedies.

KidsAndCars.org has wonderful Public Service Announcements (PSAs), charts, brochures, posters and other types of education materials to help get the word out about these predictable but preventable tragedies.