New Technology May Help Prevent Dangerous Backup Accidents

When people are overwhelmed, busy, and stressed out, they tend to become easily distracted. For example, if someone is running late for work, they may grab their coffee to go, jump in the car, and quickly back out of the driveway. Unfortunately, if the driver did not take the time to check the area behind the car before slowly backing out, they could hit an unsuspecting pedestrian, or worse, a small child. These accidents, known as backup accidents or backovers, tend to occur when a motorist is backing out of a driveway or parking space and strikes a pedestrian because the driver did not see them. Sadly, most of these accidents involve small children.

KidsandCars.org is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness of how dangerous it can be for small children to be in the vicinity of parked cars. According to the organization, over 50 children are involved in backovers each week in the United States. One-year-olds are most affected by these accidents. Unfortunately, in over 70 percent of these accidents, the driver involved was either a parent or a close relative.

Bigger Cars Mean Larger Blind Spots

A growing number of consumers are choosing to buy larger vehicles and SUVs, but they do not always consider the fact that they have larger blind spots. Fortunately, in 2018, the U.S. Department of Transportation required all 2018 vehicles to be equipped with rearview technology. According to a senior client advisor at BMW in Roanoke, Virginia, their 2019 BMW X7 comes with 360-degree surround-view cameras, among other safety features. This enables the drivers to see around the vehicle.

While these improved safety features can help prevent many of these accidents, drivers must be aware of their surroundings when backing up their vehicles. Parents also have a responsibility to watch for cars backing out of driveways or parking lots when they are with their children. They should also educate their children about the dangers of vehicles, and to be cautious when walking past a driveway or through a parking lot. Parents of young children should hold their hand when walking by driveways and in parking lots and ensure that their children are supervised if they are near parked cars.

Baltimore Car Accident Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Seek Compensation for Victims of Backup Accidents

If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a backup accident involving another driver who was not paying attention to their surroundings, contact the Baltimore car accident lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton as soon as possible. These accidents are particularly traumatic when they involve young children. Our dedicated and experienced legal team will determine who is responsible for causing the accident and ensure that they are held liable for your injuries. We will not stop fighting for you until we have secured the maximum financial compensation you deserve. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.

Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent car accident victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.