Let's eliminate driveway accidents

The last thing we want to do is compound the grief of Utah families who have suffered the loss of a child in recent months as the result of the child being run over in a driveway.

These are heartbreaking incidents whether one is a family member, a police officer, paramedic, a health-care provider or a member of the news media who reports on these tragedies. The latest victim was a 2-year-old who died Sunday from injuries sustained when his father accidentally backed his pickup truck over the boy. Police called the incident a "tragic accident" and said no charges would be filed.

The boy's death was at least the fourth such tragedy in recent months. We raise this issue in the hope that learning some simple tips can help prevent such tragic deaths in the future.

Children under the age of 5 are at the highest risk of death or injury. Most of these accidents occur in driveways while automobiles are traveling in reverse. More often than not, the driver is a family member. Rushed and distracted drivers are particularly prone to these accidents.

A national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that 60 percent of these accidents involve larger vehicles such as trucks, vans or sport-utility vehicles.

The nonprofit KIDS AND CARS estimates that nationally, at least four children die each week in and around cars in incidents other than motor-vehicle collisions. The vast majority of deaths are backover accidents, followed by front-over accidents, which have increased as Americans have purchased more SUVs, trucks and vans.

The vast majority of these accidents are preventable. Hopefully, the larger community will consider the recent spate of fatal driveway accidents as a wake-up call and take proactive steps to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Primary Children's Medical Center's "Spot the Tot" campaign offers the following prevention tips:

 Supervise children when a driver is leaving the home.

 Before driving, check the street, driveway and area around your vehicle.

 Walk around the vehicle before starting it.

 Drivers of SUVs and trucks should be extra careful.

 Children should be taught not to play under or around vehicles.

 When possible, use backup cameras and sensor devices.

 Adjust driver's seat as high as needed to see clearly out of the rear window.

 Roll down windows to hear children.

 Adjust side and rear mirrors to reduce blind zones.