The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, responding to a 2008 law which required the tracking of data for incidents in which children (14-years-old or younger) were involved in "difficult to quantify 'non-traffic' deaths and injuries," has shown that 99 kids were killed when a vehicle backed over them. A further 2000 were injured. These accidents occurred primarily in the driveways of private residences. The study also looked at children who were strangled by power windows and those killed when left in hot vehicles. The NHTSA found that a total of 221 people were killed and 14,000 were injured when vehicles backed over them in 2007.

Calling these "unnecessary deaths," Judith Lee Stone, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety said that, "when vehicle safety is improved to address these issued with better ways of identifying children and other pedestrians in the driveway and the parking lot we will see these numbers go down." A Kansas-based auto safety group called Kids and Cars has estimated that two children die every week because a vehicle backs over them.

The legislation was sponsored by former New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and requires vehicle makers to use additional mirrors, cameras or sensor devices to reduce blind spots in future models. By 2010, vehicles must have brake interlock systems to help prevent vehicles from shifting out of park unless there is pressure on the brake pedal.

If you or a loved one has been hit or run over by a car, please contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in your area.