Vehicles are a ubiquitous way of life in the U.S. They are often an important setting for life’s everyday scenes – commutes, vacations, and even meal time. But motor vehicle accidents remain the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S.(1)
For American children, fatal auto accidents are increasingly occurring close to home – often in their own driveways. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates 262 fatalities and 115,000 injuries to children 14 and younger in nontraffic crashes each year.(2) Nontraffic refers to events occurring off public roads or highways, generally in parking lots or driveways.
Nontraffic Vehicular Fatalities Involving Children Under 15 Years Old (2006-2010)
The most common nontraffic accidents involving children include backovers, frontovers, and vehicular heat stroke deaths.Together, they account for 80% of all nontraffic accidents for children under 15, and sadly, these numbers are increasing, according to Janette Fennell, president and founder of KidsAndCars.org. Fennell is recognized as the national expert in nontraffic events involving children. After being a victim of a trunk entrapment incident in 1995, Fennell founded KidsAndCars.org in 1996. The organization maintains a national database on injuries and deaths that occur to children as a