Texas car accident attorneys note that Texas sees more pedestrians killed by motor vehicles each year than almost any state. Texas accounts for over 40% of all pedestrian fatalities by car, but only for about 5% of car accident fatalities. In 2009, the NHTSA says that motor vehicles accidents caused over 4,000 pedestrian deaths and almost 60,000 injuries in the United States. Tragically, child pedestrians form a substantial number of those injuries and fatalities.
Safekids.org reports that pedestrian deaths and injuries for children aged 14 and under cost around $5.2 billion annually. And more than 40% of child pedestrian fatalities because of motor vehicle accidents occur between when school lets out in mid-afternoon and twilight. Slightly less than 40% of child pedestrian fatalities in children ages 4 and under happen in locations like driveways and parking lots that may appear “safe” from rushing traffic. Our Texas car accident attorneys stress that younger children suffer the most from being struck by motor vehicles. Children age 9 and under experience a pedestrian fatality rate 20% higher than that of children of ages 10 – 14.
We should always remember the dangers of powerful moving vehicles to our children. Young children are helpless against a motor vehicle of any size. We should all take extra precautions to protect the safety of children around motor vehicles. Toddlers and young children won’t always remember to look both ways before entering a traffic zone, especially their own driveway. So we need to look out for them.
Texas car accident attorneys remind you that a high proportion of child pedestrian injuries and fatalities occur in the children’s own driveways or apartment complex parking lots, often from backover accidents by family or friends. Part of the reason for these tragic accidents is the broad extent of the “blind zone” to the rear of a backing vehicle.
Consumer Reports tested a number of passenger vehicles for the size of their blind zones during backing. The test sought to determine just how large the average driver’s blind zone was during vehicle backing. The smallest of the blind zones measured 7 feet in extent, which is broad enough to hide a handful of small children behind the vehicle. The largest blind zone of the tested vehicles extended for 50 feet and could hide more than 60 small children (or two classrooms worth of kids) behind that vehicle.
If you’d like to check the blind zone results for your particular vehicle, you can go to the Consumer Reports results chart at http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/car-safety/car-safety-reviews/mind-that-blind-spot-1005/best-and-worst/0304bli0_best-and-worst-rear-blind-zones.htm. The results might surprise you.
And if you live in a neighborhood or apartment complex filled with small and active children, you might want to look into safety options like backup cameras and other features. Your special precautions might help prevent a deadly backover accident to a family member, neighbor’s child, or friend’s toddler.
You can learn more about what you can do in the event you or a family member experiences a car accident by downloading our Texas car accident attorneys’ book on the vital do’s and don’ts of Texas car accident claims. The book is free to visitors to our website; just click and download at your convenience. The helpful information could help you get started on the road to successful recovery after a debilitating vehicle accident.