Bumper Guardian

By Augustus  Chidester, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
April 13, 2008

Example 2 Backover IncidentRemote Level Investigation – Summary

•1996 Chevrolet pickup

•Daycare parking lot

•31-year-old male driver picking up daughter

•Another driver entered toleft and was picking up her four children

•As this driver exited the facility the subject boy was reportedly in the pickup truck on left side
photo of this vehicle

•Other driver was securing another child insafety seat

•4-y/o male exited vehicle and knelt down to play in a mud puddle 5 feet behind subject vehicle

•Driver backed out of lot, heard a bump, thought it was the pavement/ driveway edge

•Continued maneuver, saw child to left front next to mud puddle

•Police unsure which tire ran over child

•No identifiable marks on pickup truck

Visibility

•Exemplar 1996 Chevrolet pickup used

•Six-foot-tall surrogate driver used

•Centerline rear visibility 24.6 feet behind centerline to 28”tall target

•Child was approximately 5 feet behind bumper of pickup

By Augustus  Chidester, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
April 13, 2008

Example 1 – Backover Crash

•2007 Chrysler 300C

•Fatal 18-month-old female•Driver backed out of garage past house

•18-month-old exited house, down steps, andinto path of backing vehicle

•2007 Chrysler 300C (New -291 miles)•Side rear windows and backlight with aftermarket mirror tint film•Tint prevented viewing from exterior into vehicle but provided deep tint view from interior to exterior

Example 1 – Backover Crash Summary

•Clear morning, daylight hours, private driveway

•Driver (mother of child) went to detached garage to back out vehicle onto driveway

•Too difficult to place child in child seat while car in garage due to narrow garage

•All windows in vehicle closed and CD player set on low volume

•Child left in house alone, exited house, down steps and into path of vehicle

•Rear left bumper struck and knocked child down

•Left rear tire then ran over child•Left front tire then ran over child

•Driver was not aware she ran over

•Vehicle traveled 33 ft. after crash

•Driver stopped and exited vehicle and then saw child laying on ground in front of vehicle child

•Driver:

•23-year-old female

•64 inches tall

•Not interviewed

•18-month-old female

•24 inches tall

•24 pounds

•Expired 4 hours post-crash

•Autopsy indicated severe liver laceration as cause

•No external or soft tissue injuries identified

Important Notes:

•Top of trunk deck is 43” from ground

•Steps were ~20 feet from garage

•Reference measurements indicate 34.7 feet would be needed to see a 28” target through rear window

By Augustus  Chidester, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
April 13, 2008

Backover Breakdown Ages

Of the 50 Backover Cases:

•Involved children                           45*

•< 1                            1

•1 -3                        31

•4 – 8                       12

•9 -13                         1

•People > 13                                              7

* Two cases involved more than two children

•Note: The focus of the backovercases is children; however, some adults are included if seriously injured or the presence of an OEM (or post-OEM) backing or parking aid

Backover Breakdown Severity

Of the 50 Backover Cases:

•Fatal Outcome                            27

•Non-Fatal                                      25

(moderate to severe injuries)

Note: two cases each involved two children each –one fatal and one non-fatal

Backover BreakdownVictim Path

Of the 50 Backover Cases:

•14 are approaching from right or left of vehicle

•11 are stationary (or close to stationary) behind the vehicle

•Example: playing behind the vehicle, etc.

•17 unknown path

•Children who could not be interviewed

•No witnesses

•No physical evidence

•Awaiting data

•10 others

•Examples: riding in hatch, running up to vehicle from behind and fell

By Augustus  Chidester, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
April 13, 2008

Investigations Breakdown

Of the 64 Cases:
• Backover                                                              50
•Hyperthermia                                                        7
•Power Window Entrapment                             3
•Trunk Entrapment                                               2
•Rollaway                                                                  2

Backover Breakdown Vehicles Involved

50 backover cases comprising

•17 Passenger Cars

•23 Sport Utility Vehicles or Vans

•10 Pickup Trucks