When you drive through your neighborhood, you probably notice dozens of full-size pickup trucks and SUVs. After all, according to Kelly Blue Book, full-size trucks now outsell smaller vehicles by a considerable margin. These trucks are taller than you may think, though.
It is not uncommon for the hood of a full-size pickup truck or SUV to be 4 feet or higher off the ground. This creates a massive blindspot with which their drivers must contend. Sadly, if a child or short adult is in this blindspot, a catastrophic front-over accident may be imminent.
What is a front-over accident?
Front-over accidents happen when vehicles drive forward and over the top of pedestrians. Because large trucks and SUVs weigh thousands of pounds, they often cause catastrophic injuries to pedestrians during front-over accidents. Alarmingly, children are at the greatest risk of dying during front-overs.
What are safety regulators doing?
The federal government imposes strict safety standards on automakers. For example, since 2018, the federal government has required all new vehicles to have backup cameras. Regrettably, though, there are no regulations that require frontend cameras and sensors, even though the technology has been around for decades.
It is probably time for safety regulators to mandate the inclusion of front-facing cameras and sensors on all new vehicles sold in the U.S. Until regulators do so, though, children and other pedestrians remain in grave danger.
As a parent, you must closely monitor your children when they are around parked or moving vehicles. Nevertheless, if your son or daughter suffers a life-changing injury in a front-over accident, you may have a reason to pursue substantial financial compensation from the vehicle’s owner or someone else.