Driveway dangers for children.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Accidents - Brief article

Every year, thousands of children are seriously injured or killed when they are hit by a vehicle backing out of a driveway, but a child is much more likely to be backed over by a minivan or truck than by a car, according to a study by the Intermountain Injury Control Center at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Youngsters are 2.4 times more likely to be struck by a van and 53% more likely to be hit by a truck than by a car. The study also found that kids hit by high-profile vehicles such as trucks, SUVs, or minivans are more likely to require hospitalization, surgery, and treatment in an intensive care unit than those backed over by cars. Previous reports have suggested high-profile vehicles produce a large blind spot...