Did you know your home’s driveway is a major household danger zone?
Self-closing gates similar to those used around pool fences are being looked at for introduction across Australia as plans for driveway safety are being revised.
The news comes after a toddler ages 14 months was seriously injured after he was struck by a moving vehicle in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast early this year. In Queensland there are up to four low speed run overs in Queensland each year – most of them in driveways. Kid Safe NSW put the rates of driveway run overs as high as an average of 1 per week. Tragically many of these prove to be fatal.
Fences and Gates Can Save Lives
At Fence Corp we frequently work with customers to develop a safe pool fencing solution that also meets legislative requirements in Queensland. While the safety benefits of pool fencing are commonly understood, driveways are often overlooked as a significant danger area of the home. With most family cars there is a large blind spot behind the vehicle. The risk for children playing in the driveway is then quite large. Small kids are also naturally inquisitive and move quickly. When they see a car moving instead of the natural instinct to move away like our pets, children will sometimes move or run towards the vehicle.
Fences around driveways have been recommended by building professionals and child safety groups as one of the solutions to keep children away from driveways. Other measures suggested in a government feedback report which unlike pool fencing will be voluntary, include limiting the length of driveways to reduce collisions, limiting the number of cars parked in driveways and self-closing gates that separate the driveway from play areas and front and backyards.
Tips for Driveway Safety
- Treat the driveway like a road and not a play area.
- Parents should check before getting into the car that the area is clear by walking around the vehicle.
- Do not let children play around moving cars
- Consider fencing part of the driveway to provide a clear barrier between play areas and driveways at the front of the house.
To look at safety fencing around your driveway or automatic driveway gates to separate your driveway from the street, call the fencing specialists in Brisbane at Fence Corp on (07) 3715 5055