Be cautious when reversing your vehicle, especially near children

ER24 is pleading with motorists to be cautious when reversing their vehicles after paramedics recently attended to a one-year-old baby who died when a vehicle reversed into the child.

Chitra Bodasing, ER24 spokesperson, said, “If a vehicle reverses into an infant or toddler they can sustain anything from minor to life-threatening injuries. Always check behind your vehicle before reversing. If you have small children in the vicinity, do not drive the vehicle unless you can see them and they are in a safe place.”

There have been a number of incidents involving motorists reversing into children over the past few weeks.

Cameron Horner, an ER24 South Metropole paramedic, who has attended to three such incidents in recent weeks, said, “All incidents involved toddlers. One incident involved a girl between 18 months and two years old. She sustained minor injuries. Another incident involved an 18-month-old boy who sustained a femur fracture, and unfortunately there was nothing paramedics could do to save the child in the third incident.”

He added, “Make sure children are out of harm’s way. Put them in the vehicle first or make sure someone is holding them a safe distance away from a moving vehicle. If you are in an area where you know there are children around, make sure you look around before reversing your vehicle.”

Dr Vernon Wessels from ER24 explained that injuries to infants or toddlers can vary from slight bruising to severe soft tissue injuries, fractures and internal organ injuries. Liver ruptures, pelvis fractures and head injuries are some of the life-threatening injuries they can sustain.

“Injuries can lead to loss of blood, the inability to breathe effectively and loss of life. Non-life-threatening injuries can lead to loss of function of the affected part – often permanently. The amputation of injured limbs and potential infection after the injury, which could in turn lead to various complications, including threat to life, are possibilities in these cases,” said Dr Wessels.

Older children tend to be able to defend themselves better, and in the scenario of a reversing vehicle will often be able to move out of the way sufficiently to only sustain limb injuries. However, where this does not happen the injuries will be similar to those of a toddler.

“Adults also try to defend themselves from the impact and therefore injuries are often limited to a single limb or area of the body. However, this can still be serious or even fatal, and is not an uncommon cause of fatality in industrial and mining environments where vehicle operators have limited view due to the size of their vehicles,” said Dr Wessels.

If you do find yourself in an incident where someone has been reversed into, take the following into account:

· First ensure safety of the rescuer by switching off the vehicle to prevented further movement.

· Try not to move the injured person unnecessarily as this may cause further injury. However, if the person is in danger or unable to breathe, sufficient movement to remove the person from danger or to open the airway should be done as carefully as possible.

· Control visible bleeding by direct pressure on the wound with a clean dressing or piece of cloth.

· Do not give the person anything to drink until professional medical help has arrived.

ER24’s Emergency Contact Centre can be reached 24 hours a day on 084 124.