Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is urging parents and guardians to remain vigilant about keeping children safe in driveways, parking lots and other areas where they could be at risk for accidental run-over injuries.
Driveway or parking lot run-over injuries are more likely to occur on weekdays during early mornings and late afternoons, often when parents are rushing off to work or to run errands. Most often the driver is a family member, friend or a neighbor. Most accidental run-over injuries involve four-wheel-drive vehicles, vans, and trucks that have large ‘blind spots’, particularly when reversing.
“Tragically, most accidental run-over injuries involve children between the ages of one and three years and occur in the driveway of their home. These accidents are often fatal and children that do survive often have severe permanent disabilities which can range from fractures to abrasions, brain damage and spinal cord injury,” stated Dr. Mahmoud Younis, Assistant Director of Health Promotion and Community Engagement at Hamad International Training Center (HICT), part of HMC.
“Parents or guardians need to ensure that young children do not leave the house unattended. Measures must be taken to ensure children cannot open doors by themselves and access driveways, parking lots or streets. Cars and driveways should never be used as a play area,” he stressed.
Dr. Younis cautioned that driveway accidents mainly involve toddlers who are old enough to be mobile but are too small to be easily visible from the driver’s position when close to the vehicle. He said it is important for parents to prevent children from playing hide and seek around parked vehicles. Adding that parents should also ensure vehicles are locked at all times. “We have had instances when children have locked themselves in a parked vehicle and suffocated due to heat stroke.”
He recommends drivers get into the habit of conducting the ‘circle of safety’ before getting into their vehicle. This pre-trip inspection before driving involves walking around the vehicle to check it is clear. “Sadly, many children are hit while a vehicle is being reversed because the driver is not aware of their presence. Thankfully, there are now advanced technologies fitted in some vehicles, such as sensors and video cameras, to help drivers prevent accidental run overs,” he said.
He cautioned that this technology is not full proof, especially in cases where children are below a specific height or are sitting on the ground.
Dr. Younis stressed that when traveling with children in a vehicle it is important to use child restraints appropriate to the child’s age, weight, height and mental ability. “Children should never travel in a vehicle without being properly restrained. They should be put in car seats (or a booster seat) at all times. Children 12 years old and under should sit in the back seat.” In a collision, children under the age of 12 are especially vulnerable to severe injury.
“Parents can be role models for their children by wearing their seat belt. Using seat belts and child car seats will greatly help towards ensuring that everyone traveling in the vehicle is safe and hopefully prevented from severe injury in case of an accident,” he added.
