Non‐traffic child pedestrian injuries

Abstract

All non‐traffic child pedestrian deaths and injuries resulting in hospitalization in the Auckland region over a 5 year period were identified from coroner's and hospital records. There were eight deaths (0.77/100000 children per year) and 91 hospital admissions (8.7/100000 children per year). Close to half (48%) of the non‐traffic pedestrian injury admissions had been misclassified as traffic pedestrian injuries. Eighty‐seven per cent of the non‐traffic pedestrian injury deaths and 93% of the injuries occurred in residential driveways, most often involving a child run over by a reversing vehicle. Further studies are required to determine the most effective strategies for the prevention of non‐traffic child pedestrian injuries.