The first cardinal rule of driving is not to get behind the wheel if you do not know how to drive. It seems an easy enough rule to remember and follow, but there are people who does not seem to care.
34-year-old Englishwoman Lyndsay Turner accidentally killed her three-year-old son after she offered to drive the family’s car into a parking space after it had been washed—this despite not having learned how to drive.
READ: Mum and child die inside the car as dad shovels snow outside
Reports claim that her husband, Stephen Taylor, gave her instructions on how to park, but not much else.
She got behind the wheel and turned the ignition. That was when the car shot forward, hitting her son Liam and running him over.
His mother accidentally runs Liam, 3, over; it was her first time behind the wheel ; Photo courtesy: Masons
Because he was small, both parents failed to see that that he was in front of the vehicle until it was too late.
A neighbour saw the incident happen. “Liam was bleeding really badly,” she said. “Stephen picked him and took him in the car and took him to hospital quickly.”
Doctors said that Liam suffered a fatal head injury, and moments later announced his death.
Safe driving
Collisions are the most common accident involving vehicles, but did you know that there are other dangers in and around your car that could seriously harm or even kill your child?
Knowledge about these dangers can mean the difference between life or death:
- Backover. A back over incident typically occurs when a car coming out of a driveway or parking space backs over a child.
- Heatstroke. Children die each year from heatstroke, after entering the vehicle unnoticed or being left alone in the vehicle.
- Power Windows. Children can hurt themselves when a window closes on their finger, wrist, or hand. Some kids have been strangled by power windows.
- Seat Belt Entanglement. A child may become entangled in a seat belt if they pull the seat belt all the way out and wraps the belt around their head, neck, or waist.
- Trunk Entrapment. Children being entrapped in vehicle trunks can suffer heatstroke, asphyxiation and death. To avoid entrapment heed the following safety and prevention tips.
- Vehicle Rollaway. A vehicle can rollaway when the key is left in the ignition and the driver’s foot is not on the brake.
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic and safe driving, please share them in our Comment box below.
