Driveways are extremely dangerous, as recent tragedies involving children have highlighted.
This year alone there have been several serious accidents on New Zealand driveways, including two that resulted in the loss of children's lives.
In response, AA is calling for Kiwis to treat their driveways as part of the road.
AA head of driver training, Roger Venn, says a driveway accident can happen to anyone and there aren’t any single skills, approaches or technology that can remove the risks if a child ventures onto a driveway.
“We tend to think of a driveway as part of our backyard, but risk-wise, we’re better seeing it as part of the road,” says Roger.
Kiwis need to think of their driveway as a road, rather than a play area.
Roger says families with young children should sit down as soon as possible and discuss a driveway plan, including nominating a family member to have eyes on young children when someone is leaving the property.
“And if it’s feasible to fence your driveway so it’s not accessible from the house than that would also be an added safety measure.”
The AA recommends caregivers teach children to take the same care around a driveway as they would on a road. That includes never entering the driveway when a car is moving and to look both ways, and check for a garage door opening before crossing or walking on a driveway space.
“Children move so quickly, and drivers often won’t see a child behind their car due to their height.”
AA says while reversing cameras can help, they’re not a silver bullet as drivers still may not have the time to react, there are still blind spots and not all cars have cameras fitted.
“Rethinking how we view our driveways could save lives.” says Roger.
Story by Kath Webster for the Winter 2024 issue of AA Directions Magazine. Kath Webster is the Editor of AA Directions magazine.
Explore more from AA Directions magazine while you're here:
- We talk to the team at Smokelis about creating quality New Zealand-made braziers.
- A ghostly waka on Lake Tarawera was an omen of one of New Zealand's deadliest disasters.
- We explain why JDM cars are so significant in New Zealand's automotive history.
