More than 40 children are killed or injured in low-speed vehicle runover incidents in Victoria each year, on average.
Kidsafe Victoria says while hospitalisation rates have decreased over the past decade, the number of fatalities has not, highlighting a spike of six deaths in 2023.
Between 2012 and 2023, children aged one to five was the age group most commonly involved.
The vehicle was moving forward in 72 percent of incidents, which was very different to previous data, which highlighted reversing vehicles as the main culprit.
Most incidents happened when the driver was returning home, leaving home, or repositioning the vehicle.
“Behind every statistic is a family whose lives have been irreparably damaged by the trauma and lifelong grief for their child,” Kidsafe Victoria CEO Sarah Sexton said.
“These are more than just numbers – they are tragedies that ripple through families and communities.”
So Kidsafe Victoria, with support from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and in collaboration with key stakeholders, developed the Low Speed Vehicle Runover Prevention Strategy.
“The strategy identifies the critical factors contributing to these tragedies, such as vehicle design, human factors, and property design,” Ms Sexton said.
“It also sets a framework for action through education, technology initiatives and advocacy.”
Key focus areas include:
Promoting safer vehicle design and developing life-saving technologies to be retrofitted to older vehicles;
Enhancing driveway layouts to reduce hazards; and
Raising awareness about supervision, blind spots, and safe driveway practices.
“We need collective action to prevent these avoidable incidents,” Ms Sexton said.
“By working together, we can create safer environments and protect our children.”
Victoria Police Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said attending collisions involving young children and assisting families who have lost a child in a low-speed runover were “among the most difficult of duties we undertake as police officers”.
“These incidents are preventable, which makes the loss even more poignant for the families involved and the wider community,” he said.
