How Many People Are Involved in a Backover Accident Each Year?

Every year, thousands of people from across the US are affected by backover accidents. Backover crashes occur when a vehicle reverses and strikes another person or object. These incidents often occur at low speeds, and they happen most commonly in residential driveways, parking lots, or private roads. Even though they occur at low speeds, they can cause severe or even fatal injuries.

The Law Office of Carl Maltese, serving Long Island, often sees the devastating aftermath of these preventable accidents. Understanding the seriousness of this issue is essential for prevention, legal responsibility, and public safety. They can provide information on what the most common age for backover accident victims is.

National Estimates: Fatalities and Injuries from Backover Crashes

According to data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are approximately 292 fatalities and 18,000 injuries occur each year due to backover accidents.

Additional studies provide confirmation. NHTSA’s Vehicle Backover Avoidance Technology study estimated 183 fatalities and 6,700–7,419 injuries per year from pedestrian backovers Other sources such as Kids and Cars share that there is an annual average of 232 fatalities and 13,000 injuries.

In summary, every year in the U.S., nearly 300 lives are lost and approximately 15,000 to 18,000 people are hurt in backover-related incidents.

Who Are the Victims?

Anyone can be a victim of a backover accident, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and adults. However, the most common victims include the following:

• Children under the age of 5-years old are the most common victims of these accidents. Within this group, toddlers between 12–23 months, are disproportionately victims. The reason for this is that their height often places them in blind spots, particularly in larger vehicles like pickup trucks.

• Elderly individuals are also at risk due to limited mobility or sensory impairments. When a vehicle is pulling out, elderly citizens may also not have the reaction time to get out of the way.

• People with disabilities suffer additional risk, especially in driveways and private roads where backing vehicles may not realize they are behind the vehicle.

Where Do Backover Incidents Take Place?

A backover accident can occur anywhere, however, there is heightened risk in certain areas.

• Residential driveways: Backover accidents that occur on residential properties have the most non-traffic fatalities. NHTSA estimates that around 39% of backover deaths occur in driveways and apartment parking lots. Sadly, family members, including parents, are generally the drivers in these cases.

• Parking lots: Parking lots are also common places for these accidents to occur. Studies show that about 52% of backover injuries take place in nonresidential lots as people are reversing from their parking space.

• Private roads and commercial zones: These places include loading docks and alleyways, where reversing vehicles are common. In most of these places, pedestrians are typically not found, so drivers of moving vehicles might not take the time to look at their surroundings.

• Construction sites: Many incidents occur on construction sites. Contributing factors include the noise of construction sites and the small spaces construction vehicles must maneuver in.

Because we know that these areas are common for backover accidents, communities could ensure more safety by making citizens and workers aware of the heightened risk. In part, these car accident lawyers in Long Island may be able to help.

Causes Behind These Alarming Accident Numbers

There are several factors that contribute to these alarming numbers:

Large Blind Spots

A typical vehicle has a 2-foot area from the ground to the bottom of the windshield. That means children smaller than that are unable to be seen. With larger vehicles, that area is bigger, which means even taller children might not be seen by drivers of motor vehicles.

Driver Distractions

Another common cause of backing collisions is driver distraction. If a driver is on their cell phone, sending a text, playing with the radio, or talking to a passenger, they might not be aware of their surroundings. Commonly, drivers also feel safe in familiar environments, like their home's driveway, and in this case, they may reverse without even looking.

Lack of Safety Equipment

New cars are all required to have safety equipment like rearview cameras, but older vehicles do not. Safety equipment can help drivers see small children behind them, which helps to eliminate the chances of children getting killed.

Environmental Obstructions

Poor lighting, landscaping, or weather can also affect a driver's line of vision, and even if a driver's vision is obstructed by low hanging branches or other obstacles, they could still be at fault.

Legal Implications on Long Island

In New York State, the law recognizes that backover accidents are preventable and that they are caused by some type of negligence.

Driver Negligence

A driver might be held liable for injuries if they failed to exercise reasonable care, such as checking blind spots, using backup cams, or reversing the vehicle slowly.

Premises Liability

Property owners of parking lots or apartment complexes can also be found to be negligent. Things like inadequate lighting, poor design, and lack of signage can all be evidence during the process of determining fault.

Product Defects

If a camera or sensor failed, or they didn't function correctly, auto manufacturers or part suppliers could be found liable.

The Law Office of Carl Maltese can help injured clients in with a personal injury lawsuit to receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and wrongful death in fatal cases. They can help answer questions like what is the most common cause of a backover accident?

Prevent Backover Accidents - Reducing Annual Backover Numbers

To reduce the annual toll, a combination of technology, education, and awareness is essential:

• Use of backup cameras and sensors on all vehicles; U.S. regulations require them in new models since 2018, but older vehicles can get aftermarket equipment installed.

• Behavioral precautions: Walking around the vehicle before reversing and reversing slowly are two things drivers can do to keep children safe.

• Visibility enhancements: Improved lighting in driveways and parking lots, along with warning signage will make people more aware and able to see their surroundings.

• Community education: Programs that teach families about the risks of backovers will also make drivers more aware, and parents should teach children about the dangers of driveways. They should be taught the same about public roads.

Studies show that rear video systems reduce blind zones by around 90%, significantly lowering accident risk.

Contact the Law Office of Carl Maltese for a Free Consultation

With an average of nearly 300 deaths and 18,000 injuries every year, backover accidents represent a serious and often overlooked public safety hazard. For communities on Long Island, perceived safety in private driveways and parking lots can mask this persistent risk.

Legal action serves not only to provide financial recovery for victims but also to promote accountability and change. The Law Office of Carl Maltese remains committed to raising awareness about how many people are involved in backover accidents each year—and advocating for families when accidents occur.

Victims of these incidents should reach out to the Law Office of Carl Maltese for a free consultation​.