The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has been pushing for safety regulations to help reduce the risks of back-over car accidents in Neosho, Nevada and elsewhere, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Now that the holiday season is in full swing, drivers are urged to be extremely cautious behind the wheel. Through the remainder of the year, friends and family members will be venturing out to celebrations and other gatherings. Many of these events will involve members of all ages. It is important to keep an eye out for children and older people when you are backing out of driveways and parking spots. These two groups of pedestrians are most likely to be injured in one of these types of accidents.
"There is no more tragic accident than for a parent or caregiver to back out of a garage or driveway and kill or injure an undetected child," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Our Neosho pedestrian accident lawyers understand that back-over accidents are most commonly experienced through the holiday seasons. Drivers are urged to be aware of their blind spots, especially when backing up. All too often, loved ones are injured and even killed because of the carelessness of drivers. There are a few preventative measures that the NHTSA has provided to help avoid these types of accidents.
Tips to Avoid a Back-Over Accident:
- Teach young children to never play around or in vehicles.
- Whenever your child is around vehicles, be sure to supervise.
- Before getting in your vehicle to back up, make sure that you walk all the way around the entire car to make sure no one is near.
- Teach all children, and the elderly, to stay away from vehicles when they're reversing. These individuals should wait in the grass or on the sidewalk until the vehicle is gone.
- Make sure to keep looking behind you as you back up. A pedestrian may unexpectedly walk into your path.
- Back up slowly in case someone darts out behind your vehicle.
- You should be extra careful if your drive an SUV or any other kind of large vehicle. These vehicles have larger blind spots than cars. Open your windows while backing up so you can hear what's going on around you, too.
- Teach children to keep their bikes and other toys out of the driveway.
Although many newer vehicles come equipped with back-up cameras, nothing can replace the effectiveness of driver attention.
According to the NHTSA, there are more than 290 fatalities and 180,000 injuries each year due to back-over accidents. Of these fatalities, about 44 percent involve children under the age of five. This is a high percentage for any type of accident. Another 35 percent is experienced by pedestrians over the age of 69.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car-pedestrian accident, including a back-over car accident, in Neosho, Nevada, Webb City, Carthage or elsewhere in southern Missouri, contact the Nevada personal injury lawyers at Aaron Sachs & Associates PC for a free initial consultation.