Risk of pediatric back-over injuries in residential driveways by vehicle type.
OBJECTIVE
Research suggests that children experience driveway back-over injuries at a significant rate and the severity of the resulting injuries differ by type of vehicle. Yet, no US study attempted to quantify "back-over risk" for classes of vehicles because of the difficulties with determining exposure. Using vehicle registration information, we set out to estimate the relative risk of driveway back-over injuries to children by type of vehicle.


METHODS
Driveway back-over events were identified from state police reports and medical records from the state level 1 pediatric trauma center and compared with vehicle registration information to estimate injury incidence for 4 classes of vehicles (passenger cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, and minivans) over 6 years in the state of Utah.


RESULTS
Reported driveway back-over injuries represent an incidence of 7.09 per 100,000 children (<10 years old) per year. Overall, passenger cars account for 1.62 injuries per 100,000 registered vehicles. Compared with passenger cars, children were 53% more likely to be injured by a truck (P = 0.01) and 2.4 times more likely to be injured by a minivan (P < 0.001). Among children transported to a trauma center, admission (P = 0.01) and need for surgery (P = 0.03) were greater among children backed over by trucks, sport utility vehicles, and minivans compared with passenger cars.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that when assessing driveway back-over injuries, larger high-profile vehicles are associated with a higher incidence and severity of injuries when compared with injuries resulting from passenger cars.
Pinkney
Kerrie A
KA
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. kerrieann.pinkney@lvh.com
Smith
Andrew
A
Mann
N Clay
NC
Mower
Gary D
GD
Davis
Anna
A
Dean
J Michael
JM
D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001336:Automobiles; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*