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Riding the Bus and Waiting at the Bus Stop Back to School Safety Tips - Riding the Bus and Waiting at the Bus Stop Aug 10, 2007 - 11:07:47 AM From HealthNewsDigest.com Children's Health |
Study: More Children Dying In Trucks' Blind Spots
Large Vehicles Have More 'Frontover' Accidents
April 12, 2007
CHICAGO -- Every car has one: a blind zone.
Generally, as the size and height of a car increases, so does the danger. Some front blind zones in bigger cars extend as far as 8 feet, Target 5 reported.
An "frontover" accident happened in Wichita, Kan., in February when the driver of a Chevy Avalanche in a drive-through lane stopped to let a 3-year-old and his grandmother pass. The driver said he did not see the boy's twin, who was following, walking in the blind zone. The car pulled forward and the child was killed.
It would be easy to write off as a freak accident, but the numbers and the faces of other children killed in this same kind of accident tell a different story.
"It's not like anyone did it on purpose, but because we keep preferring the higher, the wider, the longer vehicles, when you do that, you keep increasing the amount of your blind zone," said Janette Fennel with Kids & Cars. "Seventy percent of the cases it is a family member who takes that child's life, and I don't know how it can get any worse."
Slow-moving front- and backover accidents happen more than 2,400 times a year, according to a Centers for Disease Control study, and most victims aren't more than 1 year old.
More than 60 percent of the accidents involved a larger vehicle, such as an SUV, van or truck, the study reported.
There is a bill pending that would mandate tougher standards for carmakers in the hope of preventing these non-traffic accidents.
In the meantime, some progress has been made on the backover front. Many cars are now equipped with detection devices like cameras or warning sounds. But the front blind zone requires a more active approach -- physically walking around the car, while also making sure children are in full view, away from the car.
Copyright 2007 by NBC5.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.nbc5.com/target5/11746677/detail.html
NBC5,
Chicago, IL, April 12, 2007. Backovers and Frontovers.
April 12, 2007 - Video
CHICAGO -- Every car has one: a blind zone.
Learn about a new danger that children face---frontovers.
CBS 3 Investigation: Driving Danger
February 18, 2006
Danger Lies Ahead With "Front-Overs"
Consumers have come to expect certain costs from owning a large truck or SUV, but 9News has uncovered an increasing cost that should worry every parent...
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Car, restaurant designs factors in child's death
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The death of a young boy after he darted in front of a large pickup in the drive-through lane of a McDonald's restaurant Thursday in Wichita reflects "an epidemic" of traffic fatalities involving young children, a national child safety advocate said Friday...
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Commentary: SUV Fatalities Are on a Roll, Both Backward and Forward
November 3, 2006
I get a lot of laughs out of the SUV craze. But the latest development on the SUV front isn't so funny.
It's called the "front-over."
Just what is a front-over? Simple. It's the opposite of a "back- over." ...read
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Group works for federal legislation to improve visibility for drivers
November 5, 2006
GEORGETOWN — A national nonprofit group said it is working for legislation that could prevent accidents such as the one that killed a 21-month-old from Georgetown County this week... read more
Visibility: Now You See Me...Now You Don't
From small cars to big SUVs, visibility problems loom large
By Scott Memmer
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Romeo |
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Tiffany |
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Jacob Mills |
