For Hazel — Safety
Hazel was on the sidewalk.
Not in the driveway. On the sidewalk — where every child is told they are safe.
The gap no one talks about
A car reversing out of a driveway creates a moving blind zone that crosses the sidewalk before the driver can see street traffic. For a few seconds, a child on the sidewalk is inside that blind zone — and has no idea they are in danger.
A taller vehicle makes it worse: the rear blind zone of a pickup can stretch 8 feet wide and 50 feet long. This can happen to any child, anywhere on the block. It is not about one driveway — it is about all of us.
Blind-zone figures: Lieff Cabraser blind-zone study.
What the numbers say
Every figure here is sourced. None of it is meant to frighten — only to show how ordinary, and how preventable, this is.
are backed over in the U.S. — about 48 are taken to the ER, and two do not survive.
Kids and Car Safetyof backover fatalities occur in residential spaces — driveways and the areas around them.
IIHSof backover incidents involve a parent or relative behind the wheel. This can happen to any of us.
Kids and Car Safetysince backup cameras became standard in 2018 — and 78% fewer fatal cases among small children.
Kids and Car Safety · AAP 2025Look. Move. Look again.
Three steps, every time you back up. They take seconds — and one look is never enough, because children move fast.
Before you reverse, make sure no child or adult is in or near your path. Walk behind your car before you get in — a three-second habit beats any mirror.
If someone’s close, move them somewhere you can clearly see them — and ask them to stay there while you back out.
If any time passes before you pull out — even a glance at your phone — get out and check again. A child who was out of sight can be behind you in seconds.
And a few things for each of us
Every driver
- Back into your spot when you can, so you pull out facing the street.
- Roll your window down as you reverse — you’ll hear what you can’t see.
- If you lose sight of a child for even a second, stop and get out to look.
- Trim hedges at the edge of your driveway — a one-time fix, permanent visibility.
Every parent
- Teach children that parked cars can move — and that seeing a car doesn’t mean the driver sees them.
- Pick a "stay spot" — a porch step or lawn edge — away from any car that’s running.
- Know where your children are before any vehicle moves. Every time.
Every neighbor
- Speak up — if you see a child near a car about to move, say something. Drivers will thank you.
- Know which homes on your block have little ones, and slow down.
- Driving a pre-2018 vehicle? Add a backup camera — about the cost of a car seat.
About the cost of a car seat
If you drive a vehicle built before May 2018, it may not have a backup camera. Adding one runs roughly $150–$400 all in — about what you'd spend on a car seat, and it can cut the worst outcomes dramatically.
Learn more from Kids and Car Safety →Open The Hazel Pledge on its own page →
Take the pledge
The Hazel Pledge
Look. Move. Look again.
- Look — Before I reverse, I make sure no child or adult is in or near my path.
- Move — If someone's close, I move them somewhere I can clearly see them.
- Look again — If any time passes before I pull out — even a glance at my phone — I get out and check again. Kids move fast.
16 people have taken The Hazel Pledge.
Who's pledged
Organizations doing this work
Kids and Car Safety
The leading U.S. nonprofit on backover prevention, with a survivor advocacy program for families.
Safe Kids Worldwide
Pediatric injury prevention, with networks that reach families through doctors' offices.
NHTSA Child Safety
Federal data and guidance on keeping children safe in and around vehicles.