Bossier Parish EMS Raises Awareness Of ‘Backover’ Incidents

*PRESS RELEASE*

FROM THE BOSSIER PARISH EMS - I’m sure you’re asking the question what’s a Backover? It is defined as an accident in which a motor vehicle reverses over an unseen person. Bossier Parish EMS would like everybody to help prevent these accidents from happening. I know with school starting you will be rushed in the mornings to make sure everyone is where they need to be and on time. I’ve attached some video to this and I think it will shock you, just like it shocked us at Bossier Parish EMS... Here are a few facts on BACKOVERS...

In the U.S., 50 children are backed over EVERY WEEK because a driver could not see them.... 48 of them are seen in the emergency room and 2 will die from their injuries!!! This is in a WEEK!!!!!

· Every vehicle has blindzones and that is an area of the vehicle where the driver cannot see, even when looking back and using their rear and side view mirrors correctly...
· On average, a blindzone can be 15 to 25 feet
· Shorter drivers can have a larger blindzone
· Over 60% of backovers involve a larger vehicle like a truck, van, and SUV.

One of the vehicles in the video is a 2009 Ford Expedition XLT and the max blindzone for this vehicle was 22feet!!! At 23 feet, I could only see the top of the child's head. I couldn't see the tricycle he was on. To me that was SHOCKING. The blindzone with the 2008 Z71 Chevrolet pickup truck that has a 6inch lift kit on it was 20 feet, and at 21 feet you could only see the top of the child’s head. The shocker to me was it also had a 46 ½ blindzone to see the whole body of the child and tricycle. In the 2010 Yukon, when I put it in reverse the backup alarm came on I could see all three children immediately in the camera. But not everyone has a rearview camera in their vehicle.

Situations

· These accidents mainly happen in driveways and parking lots. In 70% of these accidents a parent or close relative is behind the wheel. We know most kids don't ever want to hear their parent say “Bye-Bye”. For some of these accidents, the child hears that and runs after mom or dad and they never see the child behind vehicle...

Age

· Children around the age of one are most predominant but as you can see in my video the age of the child can vary and be backed over...

Did you know?

· State of Louisiana had 3 backover deaths for the year of 2014!!!
· That’s way too many!!! Help us bring the number down to 0!!!!

A Few Safety Tips!!!

· Install a review camera for parents of young children and seniors on their vehicle.
· Always walk around and behind a vehicle prior to moving it.
· Know where your children are at all times. Make sure they move away from your vehicle to a place where they are in full view before moving the car. Make sure another adult is supervising the children before moving the vehicle.
· Make sure children hold hands with an adult in parking lots at all times. If you have a group of children make a hand holding train.
· Educate children that a "parked" vehicle may move and drivers can’t always see them.
· Educate children never to play in, around or behind vehicles.

FACT: 100% Preventable!!!!!!!!!!!

Children in the videos are my neighbors. The father and mother of the children were so happy their kids where apart of this because he never knew the blindzone was so bad for vehicles.

Ages of kids and height are as follows:

3 years of age and 36 inches
5 years of age and 44 inches
7 years of age and 46 inches