Gone are the days when American drivers preferred smaller vehicles. In fact, according to Car and Driver, eight of the top 10 best-selling vehicles in the U.S. are pickups, SUVs or crossovers. The top three are full-size trucks.
Even though large vehicles tend to have roomier interiors and perform well in all weather conditions, they may be more dangerous than you think. Specifically, the tall frontends on these vehicles make them prone to front-over accidents.
What are front-over accidents?
In the 1990s and early 2000s, many parents believed the biggest risk to children came from backover accidents. Because all new cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the U.S. now must have backup cameras, this risk has diminished significantly. The same is not true for front-over accidents.
A front-over accident is one where a vehicle drives forward and over the top of a pedestrian, frequently a child. Sadly, drivers of tall vehicles often simply cannot see short pedestrians. Indeed, a child may have to be as many as 16 feet in front of a tall vehicle for its driver to see him or her.
How can you protect your kids?
As a parent, you must impress on your children the importance of staying away from every vehicle’s front end. If one of your kids must walk in front of a pickup or SUV, he or she should make eye contact with the driver before moving into harm’s way.
Even with good parenting, you cannot eliminate your child’s chances of suffering a catastrophic injury in a front-over accident. Ultimately, you may have little choice but to pursue financial compensation from the tall vehicle’s driver to help you pay for the medical care your son or daughter needs to recover completely.