As a parent, you probably recognize the inherent risks that cars, trucks and SUVs pose to children. Still, you may believe your child’s most significant danger comes from being a passenger in a motor vehicle. You also may worry about accidentally backing over your son or daughter. Regrettably, you have a bigger concern.
Front-over accidents, where a car drives forward over a child, have become alarmingly common in recent decades. In fact, according to reporting from Consumer Reports, these accidents killed nearly 1,000 kids between 1990 and 2019. Sadly, children between 23 months and 12 years of age have the greatest risk.
America’s obsession with massive vehicles
It is impossible to drive anywhere in the U.S. without seeing dozens of pickups, SUVs and crossover vehicles. Indeed, according to Kelly Blue Book, sales of full-sized pickup trucks have outpassed small- and medium-size cars since 2020.
A full-size pickup or SUV can have a hood that sits more than 4 feet off the ground. If a child runs in front of a gigantic vehicle, the vehicle’s driver simply may not be able to see the child. Moreover, the length of a full-size vehicle’s hood may exacerbate visibility problems for its driver.
The importance of front cameras
Some full-size vehicles nowadays come with front cameras and sensors that help to prevent front-over accidents. Unlike rear-facing cameras, however, these technological enhancements do not come standard on all vehicles sold in the U.S. To keep kids safe, it is time for federal regulators to require front-facing cameras on every car, truck and SUV on the road.
Ultimately, if your child suffers a serious injury in a front-over accident, taking legal action against the driver who caused the accident may improve your child’s chances of making a full recovery.
