Little Alexandra Weeks is a very lucky girl.  She got the fright of her life when her family’s car rolled over her head in the home driveway last week.

Alexandra screamed as the weight of the car fractured her skull in two places.  Her carotid artery was also badly damaged, putting her at a high risk of stroke.

Doctors at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) say Alexandra is extremely fortunate to still be alive.

Unfortunately, this is an injury that is all too common.  In fact, in Australia, one child every week is run over in the driveway of their home.

Barbara Minuzzo from the RCH Safety Centre says there are many things parents should keep in mind to ensure their child is safe around the driveway, including:

• Separate the driveway and the garage from where children play
• Know where all children are before reversing out of your driveway.  Walk around the back of your car before reversing; proceed slowly and cautiously
• Make sure none of the child’s toys are ever near the driveway or front pathways
• Remember that using mirrors when reversing still leaves limited visibility of the area behind the car.

For more information, download the Safety Centre’s Pedestrian Safety for your Child fact sheet, or visit the Safety Centre website.

Read more about Alexandra’s story at Herald Sun Online.

Photo courtesy of the Herald Sun.