Tributes are flowing for 15-month-old Braxton James Nowlan, the Ipswich toddler who tragically died on Monday after being run over in his grandmother’s driveway. The toddler was apparently living at his grandmother’s home at the time.
Routine visit
A Department of Child Safety officer was conducting a routine visit to the Ripley home. It was as she left at 1.20pm that her car fatally hit Braxton. He suffered serious injuries and died at the scene.
Queensland Department of Child Safety confirmed that it was one of their staffers who accidentally struck the toddler in a department vehicle.
“The department is providing the utmost care and support to both family members and staff. The department will review this incident and this review will also be externally scrutinised.”
The officer was admitted to hospital and treated for shock.
Facebook tributes
Braxton’s aunt has paid tribute to the little boy in one of the many messages from family and friends being posted on Facebook following this tragedy.
“Baby Braxton, the sadness by your passing is beyond words,” she wrote. “Your love, laughter and gorgeous face will be with us always. We miss you so much, forever in our hearts, until we meet again little man.”
Driveway deaths in Australia are high
The figures for these sort of close-to-home tragedies in Australia are horrific.
- 60 children aged zero-to-four and six children aged five-to-14 were killed between 2001–2010 by being hit by a four-wheeled motor vehicle moving around a home.
- A further 293 children aged zero-to-14 years were seriously injured around the home due to being hit by some other road vehicle (for example, motorcycle, three-wheeled vehicle or pedal cycle).
According to Kidsafe, in Queensland alone there are three deaths in driveways a year.
In the US the figures are even more terrifying:
- At least 50 children are being backed over by vehicles EVERY week.
- 48 are treated in hospital emergency rooms and at least two children are fatally injured every week.
- Victims are usually 12-to-24 months old.
- More than 60 percent of incidents involve a large vehicle such as an SUV, van or truck.
- 70 percent of drivers are a parent or relative.
Big cars + poor visibility can = disaster
Larger cars and poor visibility are the major contributing factors to these kinds of accidents. US organisation Kids and Cars recommend learning more about the ‘blind zone’ of the car you are driving. They stress that every car has a significant blind zone (rather than a blind spot) which differs from vehicle to vehicle. The blind zone renders a child invisible to the driver once they stray within it.
Know your blind zone
Kids and Cars have collected blind zone information on a range of US vehicles which you can view here. You can also contact your car’s manufacturer to get this kind of information for your vehicle model or you can measure it yourself (see point nine below).
If you’re considering purchasing a car, the NRMA has information here ranking cars according to their reverse visibility so you can take driveway/reverse safety into account.
10 ways to keep kids safe in your driveway
1. Always walk around a vehicle prior to starting and moving it.
2. Make sure that another adult has all children in their care before you move the car.
3. If you can’t see all the kids, don’t start the car.
4. Never allow kids access to car keys or unlocking devices.
5. Never allow your kids to play in the car or ‘pretend’ to drive.
6. Teach your children that any car may suddenly start up and move.
7. Teach children that they can not always be seen by drivers.
8. Don’t let your kids play or leave toys in the driveway. Measure the size of your vehicle’s blind zone with the help of a friend.
9. Use an object (a cone or small potted plant for instance) to gain awareness of just how big your blind zone is.
10. Consider installing extra mirrors or visibility devices on your car to keep kids safe
Our hearts go out to Braxton’s family and friends and to all those touched by his tragic death. Our thoughts are also with the Department of Child Safety officer.
Are you going to go and measure your car’s blind zone, quick smart?
Source: https://www.kidspot.com.au/tributes-flow-for-toddler-killed-in-grandmas-driveway/
