When choosing a car, you would consider a range of factors before making the purchase. You might want a practical daily driver or a sporty SUV that stands tall for outdoor adventures.
Big vehicles or trucks could have many offerings for both drivers and passengers. However, it could mean life or death for young kids outside because of the blind spots. Toddlers standing in those areas could be invisible to the driver, leading to collisions even when slowly going in or out of the driveway.
Drivers might think it is impossible to hit a child this way. Unfortunately, it happens too often for comfort. An estimated 744 children died from 2016 to 2020 because large vehicles hit them, mostly while driving in and out of parking spaces or driveways.
Does better tech mean safer?
Advocates believe these incidents might be more common as more people buy big vehicles. Better safety features should address this problem.
However, regulations only impose a requirement for rear cameras on new cars. The riskiest blind spots are up front, where toddlers could become undetectable. Experts believe front cameras and sensors might help, but it is not a standard even on recent models.
Additionally, drivers could still operate older models without these safety features, increasing the risk on public roads. Policymakers and auto manufacturers could produce better solutions to this problem. In the meantime, the families bear responsibility for keeping toddlers safe around large vehicles.
How can I keep my kids safe?
You can get a smaller replacement car with fewer blind spots to keep your toddlers safe at home. However, specific households might not afford to do so based on their situation.
Still, keeping an eye on your kids is one of the best ways to maintain safety. Never leave them alone with a vehicle, and keep them away, especially when it is in motion.
You could also teach them early about car safety habits and how they should behave around vehicles. Doing so also instills lessons that stay with them into adulthood.