The warning comes as part of a campaign for National Low Speed Vehicle Run Over Prevention Awareness Day on Sunday, April 16.
The day is dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers driveways pose for children and what families can do to reduce the risk of these sort of incidents occurring.
On average, every year seven children aged up to 14 years are killed and 60 are seriously injured due to driveway run-over incidents in Australia.
Kidsafe Victoria said most incidents took place in the driveway of the child’s own home, or in a friend or relative’s driveway, and the driver was usually a parent, relative or family friend.
Kidsafe Victoria general manager Jason Chambers said children’s unpredictability, their inquisitive nature and the fact that they were surprisingly quick and mobile, placed them at increased risk around driveways.
“Driveways are dangerous places for children — they are designed to allow vehicles access to and from a property and therefore present the same hazards as roads,” he said.
“All vehicles have a large blind spot — some extending back as far as 15 metres — which can make it difficult for the driver to see a child.
“While reversing sensors and cameras can help to reduce the risk, they can’t be relied upon on their own to keep children safe — a child may still not be noticed until it is too late.”
Kidsafe Victoria recommends always supervising children in and around driveways.
It also suggests separating children’s play spaces from garages and driveways where possible, and that drivers get into the habit of doing a ‘circle of safety’ and walking around their vehicle before getting into it when leaving an area where a young child is present.
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