Tuesday, 25 October 2011 08:42
On Average, One Child a Month across Australia Dies in a Home Driveway Runover
Kidsafe vehicle safety sticker |
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Melbourne Tuesday October 25th: National Kidsafe Day is being used to launch a statewide campaign focused on the prevention of Toddler Driveway Deaths.
On average, these result in one child fatality a month and according to the latest figures out of Queensland, injure as many as 3 children a week.
Kidsafe will also be providing the following three National Kidsafe Day Road Safety awards:
Kidsafe 'Business' Award: 'Transportation of Children and Youth with Additional Needs' partnership Kidsafe 'Kids Teaching Kids' Award: Grades 5/6 at Wodonga South Primary School
The Victorian Minister for Children, The Hon Wendy Lovell, will officially present the three awards and launch the Kidsafe driveway campaign, backed by the TAC Community Grants Program and Holden, at Federation Square at lunchtime today, with a graphic illustration of the lack of vision behind vehicles.
Melanie Barbera and her 18 month old daughter Sierra, who was run over in the home driveway last year and survived, will join the Minister to promote the driveway safety message by placing the first of 95,000 vehicle safety stickers to be distributed across the country, on the driver's side window, to remind drivers to be aware of the dangers. Research from the Coroners Prevention Unit has shown that most incidents occur at or near the child's home, where both the parent and the child may have felt that the child was safe. Importantly, in almost all driveway run-over incidents, the driver was unaware that the child was even in the vicinity of the vehicle. "Tragically, these deaths usually involve a parent or friend of the family," Mr Caulfield said. Kidsafe has been working collaboratively with a number of agencies as part of the Victorian Driveway Safety Committee, established in February, to create strategies to reduce the number of driveway related deaths in Victoria and around the country. Avoiding the Tragedies 2. Local Champion Award (recognises individuals/groups who have actively contributed to improved road safety for children in their local community)- the winner of this award is the City of Geelong's Active Transport Network. 3. Kids Teaching Kids Award (recognises school students/local clubs/individual children who are less than 18 years of age and who have actively contributed to road safety for children) - the winner of this award is Wodonga South Primary School. A Kidsafe Driveway Safety Fact Sheet is available for download Media Enquiries:
Robert Caulfield, Vice President of Kidsafe, cautioned: "Parents need to recognise that children are unpredictable, and that driveways are one of the deadliest areas around the home. These children are usually old enough to be mobile, but too small to be easily visible from the driving position."
Statistics from the Coroners Prevention Unit:
KIDSAFE AWARDS
1. Business Award (recognises retailers/business who actively promote road safety for children through action, increasing awareness or advocacy)- the winner of this award is the 'Transportation of Children and Youth with Additional Needs' partnership (members include RCH, Latrobe University, Britax, VicRoads, Association for Children with a Disability, RACV, ACRI, Autism Victoria).
Ron Smith, Corporate Media Communications, Kidsafe Victora - Mobile: 0417 329 201