Driveway Safety for
Children
Using a Driveway Safety
Net
Driveway safety for children
is one of the most demanding responsibilities for parents or guardians
of young children.
Driveway safety is comprised of two categories. Preventing your child
from being run over as a car is backing out of the driveway. The other
is preventing your child from running out into the street while playing
in the yard with a driveway
safety net, such as the KIDCATCHER.
We will now cover each topic
individually.
Prevent
Your Child from Being Run Over in the Driveway
One third
of children under
six killed in motor vehicle accidents were killed ‘off road’ in yards,
parking lots and driveways. Children aged one and two are most likely
to be killed or injured in home driveways. The vehicle is usually
moving slowly and is often being driven by a parent, relative or friend.
A slow moving vehicle backing down a driveway can trap a child, causing
fatal crush injuries. Children who survive are often left with severe
long-term injuries.
Small children, particularly toddlers, can be impossible to see from
inside a car, especially if they are directly behind it. Most drivers
are aware of their car’s ‘blind spots’ however the rear vision of a
number of popular cars has been tested and results show that there is
in fact a large ‘blind space’ behind most cars, particularly when
driving in reverse.
Even if your car has parking sensors or a video camera fitted, you may
not notice a small child until it is too late to stop.
The highest proportion of driveway fatal accidents occur on weekdays in
the early morning between 8:00am and 10:00am and in the late afternoon
between 4:00pm and 6:00pm. Most accidents occur in fine weather and
bright conditions.
Safety Steps
-
Always
supervise
your children and do not leave them alone to play especially when they
are near parked or moving vehicles
-
Hold their hands or hold them close to keep
them safe
-
If you are the only adult at home and need to
move a vehicle, even
only a small distance, place your child securely in the vehicle with
you while you move it
-
Make access to the driveway from the house
difficult for young children, possibly by using security doors, fencing
or gates
-
Drivers should walk around their vehicle
before leaving an area where children may have been playing
-
Don’t let your unsupervised children use the
driveway as a play area.
-
Create safe play areas for your children
Protecting Your Children from Running
into the Street
With
a KIDCATCHER
The KIDCATCHER is NOW IN STOCK.
Even when
closely watching your children, it is often difficult to react fast
enough when they dart out from your driveway into the street when
chasing a ball or riding a toy. You need a driveway guard.
In many cases, if a car is
approaching, the parent or guardian cannot get to the child fast
enough. Countless injuries occur each year involving children and motor
vehicles because a driver is not paying attention or did not see the
child. How many times have you heard about a distraught driver saying
that he or she didn't see the child running into the street and
couldn't stop on time?  Driveway
fence gates help to prevent this tragedy.
Driveway
safety statistics show that children who do survive being struck by a
car sustain severe and permanent physical and brain injuries.
To
rectify this driveway safety problem, many parents or guardians park
their car in front of the driveway or erect a temporary barrier out of
wood or whatever else may be laying around the garage. This is done
instead of using a driveway guard. Many of these barriers are not
sturdy enough and children on riding toys may even become injured when
they collide with the barrier or car.
If
you have young children and want a better driveway safety solution than
your car, you can invest in a driveway safety guard that extends across
the bottom of your driveway.
This driveway safety barrier was designed specifically for use with
children. It is a reasonably priced, easy-to use portable mesh child
safety driveway gate that acts as a deterrent to assist in preventing
children and toys from leaving the driveway and entering the street.
The KIDCATCHER driveway
protector also acts as a visual barrier to deter automobiles from
entering the driveway where kids are playing. This is especially
important when cars are parked on the street next to the driveway and
impair a driver’s vision.
Click here for more information
on driveway safety and to see a picture of KIDCATCHER.
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