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Vehicles reversing or rolling backwards: an underestimated hazard
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Graz, Austria. johannes.mayr@kfunigraz.ac.at
Insights
Reversing vehicles pose a significant risk to young children, especially toddlers playing in driveways or farmyards. Most injuries are contusions, fractures, and lacerations, often from run-over incidents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Injury Prevention
- Vehicle Safety
Background:
- Vehicle-related injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children.
- Reversing and rolling vehicles present a unique hazard, particularly in residential and farm settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze injuries sustained by children from reversing or rolling vehicles.
- To establish evidence-based guidelines for preventing such incidents.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records and parental questionnaires.
- Inclusion of 32 children admitted to Pediatric Surgery over eight years.
- Data collection on vehicle type, driver status, injury severity, and incident location.
Main Results:
- Median age of injured children was 2.1 years.
- 43.8% of vehicles were driven by family members; 9.4% had no driver.
- Common injuries included contusions (40.6%), fractures (31.3%), and lacerations/burns (21.9%).
- Incidents frequently occurred in driveways (37.5%) and farmyards (21.9%).
- 70.3% of children sustained run-over injuries.
Conclusions:
- Toddlers are particularly vulnerable to injuries from reversing vehicles.
- Driveways and farmyards are high-risk locations for these incidents.
- Prevention strategies should focus on these identified risk factors.
Objectives:
A retrospective analysis of injuries caused by vehicles that were reversing or rolling backwards to establish guidelines for prevention was performed.
Patients And Methods:
Medical records and questionnaires completed by parents for 32 children admitted to the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graz, within the past eight years, were analysed.
Results:
The median age was 2.1 years (1.0-14.0 years). Fourteen of 32 of the cars were driven by family members (43.8%); three were rolling backwards without a driver (9.4%). The median injury severity score was 3 (1-27) and the most common injuries were contusions (40.6%), fractures (31.3%), and lacerations/burns (21.9%). Most incidents occurred in driveways (37.5%) or farmyards (21.9%). Altogether 70.3% of children sustained "run-over" injuries, 29.6% were hit by the rear bumper or injured by a breaking window.
Conclusions:
Toddlers playing in driveways or farmyards are at risk of a injury caused by reversing vehicles/vehicles rolling backwards.