Reversing motor vehicle injuries: a preventable tragedy

Abstract

In this letter to the editor, the authors review the problem of driveway motor vehicle injuries. They report their experience of treating two children within a short period of six months, both of whom had experienced major head trauma by an automobile being backed up in a home driveway. The authors briefly report the injuries sustained, including the first child's injuries that resulted in his death. They offer suggestions for preventive strategies, including fencing driveways off, adding sensor systems for when the automobile is in reverse, and using rear observing cameras. The authors propose that all new vehicles, not just those in the luxury class, be equipped with these reversing sensor systems, alarms, or cameras. The letter includes computed tomography (CT) brain scans of the two injured children.