Care can stop driveway tragedies - Plunket

WATCH OUT: Think of the toddlers when your driveway is busy.PHOTO/TODD WINLOVE

As New Zealand families prepare for another busy Kiwi summer, Plunket is asking parents and caregivers to take time to think of the under-5s.

Plunket national child safety adviser Sue Campbell says that often in summer there are more people around with friends and family visiting, and therefore also more vehicles.

"Often amid all the excitement of celebrating and spending time together, there will be more cars coming and going, and more children and adults around. This all increases the risk of a driveway runover tragedy or a child wandering off," she said.

"Every two weeks a child is hospitalised with serious injuries received from a vehicle driving on a private driveway in New Zealand and not just as a result of a vehicle reversing. In at least 32 per cent of cases the car was moving forward."

"In the majority of cases the driver was known to the child, often a parent or relative, and the incident usually occurred on the driveway of the property where the child lived.

"Most of these children are toddlers 1-2 years of age and, when death does not occur, the injuries they receive are often severe, sometimes resulting in permanent disability. It's terribly sad and there is so much we can do to bring this number down," Ms Campbell said.

"It would be great to see families or groups taking time to ensure an adult is watching out for children at all times. Maybe the adults in the house can take turns watching the children while the others relax."

Ms Campbell urges drivers to know where children are before starting a vehicle.