As we come into the holiday season and have the children around home more often it is time to think about how safe it is at home especialy when we are using machinery and vehicles. Both parents and children can be lulled into a false sense of security because they are at home and that is when unforseen accidents can occure.
I am writing this as I remember a close call we had in our own driveway and tragic stories I hear every year just after Christmass and in the early part of the new year. Last year our car was being washed in the driveway and the boys where playing in the back yard / decking area which runs into the driveway. We are always careful to see where the kids are when we move the car but on this occaision my wife left the car to get a bucket of water and the car rolled backwards into the side of the house (yes the old leave the hand brake off trick) right where the children ride their bikes. Lucky they had just moved to another part of the yard.

Every year for the past few years I have heard sad stories of young children (usually toddlers) being run over by thier own parents in thier own driveways usually resulting in the death of the child. often there is a story of the child riding thier new trike or car they got for Christmass or birthday behind the car and the parent reverses over them. I think about the guilt the parent suffers and of course the loss of the child.

Here are few things to remember when we are using our cars in driveways and back yards.

• our homes are as dangerous as anywhere else if we drop our guard and create a dangerous environment
• children do not sense danger like we do and will walk into the path of a car
• toddlers have not developed the ability to understand and react to sounds or moving objects as we adults do
• always keep your child in sight or in the care of another adult when moving your car
• you cannot see a child behind a car so if you are unsure where they are, do not move the car, get out and make your child safe
• if you are on your own put the child in the car with you while you move it
• turn off any distractions (car music systems ) while you are in a car with children around
• never leave you vehicle unnatended regardless of your engine status (running or not) as we all can make mistakes and it is easy to take a handbrake off and send a car rolling out of control

Be alert when working with cars and children and never take shortcuts even if we are running late.