{"id":2093,"date":"2012-07-24T09:35:51","date_gmt":"2012-07-23T23:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/inthenews\/?p=2093"},"modified":"2015-04-29T13:48:06","modified_gmt":"2015-04-29T03:48:06","slug":"making-driveways-safer-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/making-driveways-safer-for-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Making driveways safer for children"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shane Gauci and partner Vanessa (with son Benjamin and daughter Leah) urge other parents to make sure they always know where their children are before reversing out of a driveway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a bid to reduce paediatric driveway injury, The Royal Children\u2019s Hospital (RCH) today hosted the launch of a Driveway Safety Campaign.<\/p>\n

The campaign is a collaborative project led by the Office of the Child Safety Commissioner, in partnership with the RCH, Victoria Police, RACV, TAC, Kidsafe and the MAV.<\/p>\n

The Hon Mary Wooldridge MP, Minister for Community Services, officially launched the campaign, which included radio advertisements, posters, postcards and the use of social media.<\/p>\n

Ms Wooldridge said the campaign message \u2013\u2018Just because you can\u2019t see me, doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m not here\u2019 \u2013 is designed to remind parents just how invisible a child can be behind a vehicle.<\/p>\n

Since 2000, 14 children in Victoria have died and many more have been seriously injured from incidents involving being run over by vehicles in the family driveway.<\/p>\n

RCH Director of Emergency Medicine, Dr Simon Young, said any injury sustained by a child is a tragedy, but driveway injuries have a particular poignancy due to their greater potential for prevention.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese accidents occur in the home. They\u2019re very young children, under six years of age. The people involved in driving the cars are often friends or parents and they occur during those times of peak activity at the home when everybody\u2019s trying to get things done\u2026first thing in the morning and late at night,\u201d Dr Young said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though these injuries occur at relatively low speed, they\u2019re a crushing injury because the car weighs so much more than the small child involved. The injuries can be horrendous,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Two-year-old Benjamin Gauci was reversed over by his father\u2019s car in late 2010. His father, Shane Gauci said he had been moving the car in order to wash it and didn\u2019t realise Benjamin was outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt the front wheel run over something. My heart stopped and my stomach turned. I immediately knew it was Benjamin. I couldn\u2019t hear any screams and immediately thought the worst.<\/p>\n

\u201cI jumped out of the car and ran around to the passenger side of the vehicle where Ben was laying on the ground. He started to scream. I think it was then that I took my first breath with a slight sense of relief \u2013 he\u2019s still alive,\u201d Mr Gauci said.<\/p>\n

Benjamin spent three days at the RCH with a fractured foot, bruising and swelling.<\/p>\n

Mr Gauci said whilst he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, he was thankful his son\u2019s injuries were not worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were fortunate that all Benjamin\u2019s injuries were minor and would not hold any long term effects. There are many who are not as fortunate as us and our hearts go out to those families,\u201d Mr Gauci said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only long term effect for us, our families and our friends is now awareness. We are all now more conscious and diligent in knowing where our children are when moving a vehicle in and out of a driveway. Our message to other families is \u2018know where your kids are at all times prior to moving a vehicle\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Child Safety Commissioner Bernie Geary OAM said the campaign was an important partnership injury prevention strategy driven by the experiences of families affected by driveway injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe basic message, especially for parents of children under six, is always make sure you know where your children are before you reverse out of a driveway,\u201d Mr Geary said.<\/p>\n

Ms Wooldridge said the main concern was that children were unpredictable.<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren can be so invisible \u2013 the play, the hiding \u2013 what they see as just a normal fundamental part of what they do in growing up can be the thing that puts them at risk,\u201d Ms Wooldridge said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTaking just one look can be the difference between life and death. We must know where our children are, we must do everything to keep them safe,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Research shows:<\/p>\n