7 yr old boy killed by reversing 4wd (driven by his mother)

It strengthens the case that people that have kids should be more aware of what the kids are doing before they move the car.

I have never moved my car before I new where my kid was NEVER.

Sorry, I think you are being a bit harsh. I had the same attitude as you with my 2 but at the end of the day, I'm just glad mine made it through in one piece. Sometimes, an accident is just that, an accident. Anything that can be done to stop it is worth the bucks in my book.

I tend to agree with TravelingOz


Before i move the car -- i 1) make sure nobody has followed me out the front door ( ie i can hear the screen door open as it will catch a little 2) if someone has followed me out -- always see who it is and take action - ie if its the little ones -- throw them in the car even if i am just moving car a few meters or have my Partner Corall the kids and wait for her nod before i move

May take a few extra seconds - but well worth it ...

also on a side note -- you should DRIVE out of a driveway - not reverse....

Boc

they were reversing up the drive way loaded with shopping !!!

I agree with Travelin OZ - I don't even have kids but often visit people with kids and I have NEVER moved my car unless I knew where all the kids were.

Mike,
I tend to agree with you.

Like the other respondants, I always try to know whats going on around the car before moving. For me this also includes reversing into parks as I consider it safer to drive out rather than reverse out.
I have also instructed the kids to stay clear of moving vehicles and to remain in the vision of the driver.
I have a reversing camera and have had occasion to brake and stop the car on seeing movement in the screen, a child other than mine had moved quickly behind the vehicle. In this instance they ran through and I would not have hit them - worried me non the less.

So whilst I make efforts in this regard i know that I and those around are only human, steps to eliminate incidents like these should be considered.

We all need to take resoncibilty for ours and our childresn actions. I also consider we have a a responsibilty of preventing incidents, standing on a high horse wont necesarily assist this.

Paul.

You said it better than I did Paul. Thanks

Yes, well said Paul.Well pointed out that a big part of the issue is teaching your children from a young age not to go behind a car that is about to reverse: because the driver can't see you!
As you've also suggested, the driver needs to be aware that not all other people care for their children enough to teach them this.
With the amount of publicity surrounding this type of incident every few months, you'd think that people would be taking more precautions in this area - or are parents now reluctant to restrain their children for fear of being charged with assault?

Hi Graham

I was surprized over the weekend to find cases of not hitting the 4wd button.

Friday a Prado rolled killing both parents of a child left in it , and also a 70 series rolled killing driver and headlines were as below , in both cases they reffered to cars in the text and you had to read a bit to find 4wd in one of them and the other reffered just to a landcruiser UTE.


"Man dies in car rollover at Hallston"

"Baby Survived crash that kills parents"

Try educating kids on the dangers of motor vehicles as well as road sense. You cant blame a driver if a kid runs behind a car or if they run out onto the road.

It is in no doubt a tragic situation & even though it may not show in our choice of words I do think we all have a bit of sympathy for the parents.
The most common problem with reversing would definitely have to be that drivers do not look in the direction of travel.
If you are travelling backwards you must twist your body & look over your left shoulder & only use the mirrors to check for clearance. You must also keep looking in that direction until the car comes to a complete stop. If you do not do this in a driving test you will be failed.
Does anybody remember?
If a kid runs out behind the car you should be in a position to see it.
There is no need for reversing cameras if you drive a normal 4 x 4 car the proper way.