'A heartbreaking spike': Coroner demands action over common driver blind spot

12/05/2024 12:00 AM

A rise in the number of young children being killed in low-speed car accidents in or around their homes has prompted experts to demand urgent action, with part of the blame being levelled at drivers’ “over-reliance on new safety technology”.

According to KidSafe Victoria, the number of fatalities caused by these low-speed run-over accidents has not decreased over the past decade, with a “heartbreaking spike” of six deaths in Victoria in 2023 alone.

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The most common victims are children aged one to five years old, with the majority of incidents occurring when the driver was returning home, leaving home or repositioning their vehicle.

Worryingly, 72 per cent of the incidents in Victoria happened when the vehicle was travelling forward – contradicting the common belief that reversing cars are the biggest concern.

The fatality data also included various vehicle types, suggesting large cars are not solely to blame for the increase, and there was an even split between metro and regional areas.

In response, KidSafe Victoria and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) have launched a joint initiative calling for more education and advocacy on fixing the blind-spot issue, as well as proactive technology solutions from the vehicle manufacturing industry. Everyone is invited to contribute to the strategy.

The Victorian Coroner, Audrey Jamieson, acknowledged that a new Australian Design Rule (ADR 108/00) mandating at least two reversing sensors on all domestic vehicles would serve as part of the solution.

However, she pointed out that the average age of registered passenger vehicles nationally was 11.2 years, meaning the effects of these policy changes could take “some time” to flow through to our roads.

Additionally, the Coroner cautioned that drivers could “become complacent due to an over-reliance” on safety measures such as reverse cameras, parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring.

"The risks of children and roadways are not unknown to the general public," Her Honour said. "However, their small size can often prevent drivers from knowing of their presence until it is too late." 

Coroner Jamieson urged parents and caregivers to consult KidSafe Victoria’s official advice for reducing risk around homes and in driveways, which includes the following tips:

• Always supervise children around cars, driveways and car parks, treat the driveway like a road and create a safe play area for children away from garages and driveways. 
• Do not rely on reversing sensors or cameras alone.
• Always walk around the vehicle before getting into the vehicle to check there are no children around, and wave goodbye from a safe place away from the driveway. 

You can provide your personal feedback to KidSafe Victoria and the TAC’s ‘Low-Speed Vehicle Runover Prevention Strategy’ at this link.

MORE: 'I want my dumb car back': Modern car safety tech slammed for encouraging 'complacency'

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