New Technology to Prevent Car Backup Deaths

CHARLOTTE, N.C. AP is reporting that Capt. Larke Plyler admits he'll never be prepared to deal with tragedies like the death of Eli Bannister. The little boy was the second local toddler in just two weeks to die when he was run over in his driveway by his mother.

"It's a tragic thing, and what makes it worse is that it's usually by a friend or family member," said Plyler, a veteran of the Union County Sheriff's Department and the father of two young children.

So far this year, 20 youngsters in the United States have died after being backed over, often by their own parent or other relative. Like other parents, Plyler wonders what can be done to reduce the horrific statistics.

In fact, inventors have been working on the problem for years.

A local company is marketing a system that uses Doppler radar to give the driver a better "view" of the blind spot behind a truck or car.

Jim Cotter, president of Sense Technologies, Inc., which makes the Guardian Alert Backing Awareness System, believes more consumers will soon demand the device in their new truck or car.

At a cost of $300 to $500 per vehicle, Guardian Alert can be installed on any vehicle, new or used. It can be adapted to fit on a bumper, trailer hitch or license plate bracket.

It performed well enough to impress Rick Hendrick, who owns more than 60 automotive dealerships. Hendrick Automotive Group is preparing to offer Guardian Alert to car buyers at all of its dealerships, including at City Chevrolet in Charlotte.

On Tuesday, Mark Erwin, who is on the board of directors at Sense Technologies, demonstrated how the Guardian Alert works in his own Oldsmobile Bravado.

As he put the truck in reverse, a small device mounted on the steering column beeped and flashed when the vehicle backed toward a children's toy on the driveway, which had been placed several feet from the back bumper.

As Erwin drove closer to the toy, the beeps got louder and the green flashes changed to bright red ones. When he was three feet away, the light stayed on and the beeps sounded more like an alarm.

"I don't even have to pay attention to the lights," said Erwin. "The beeps make it very clear you are about to run into something, so you just automatically hit the brakes."

One of the Guardian Alert system's top selling points is it can detect objects as low as the pavement itself.

"That's just where you'll find a child, dog or cat," Erwin said.

According to the company, the system is durable and its performance is not hindered by rain, snow, ice or mud -- something that cannot be said about other systems that rely on video technology. Systems that use ultrasonic technology can't detect objects on the ground, Cotter said.

He said another advantage is the device can be quickly installed, either by the consumer or back at the dealership. Erwin, who describes himself as having "all thumbs," said he was told by Cotter that he should be able to install it in his truck in 15 minutes or less.

"I timed myself and I did in 14 minutes," he said. "If I had to do it again I think I could do it in 10 minutes."

Cotter said another feature is that the device can help drivers park their vehicles without hitting unseen objects.

"I really believe it will be widely popular," he said. "If you back into a mailbox, you can do $1,500 worth of damage to your bumper."

Janette Fennell of Kids 'N Cars, a safety advocacy organization based in San Francisco, said several factors have led to the rise in backing-up accidents. One is that some of the most popular vehicles on the road are large SUVs and vans, from which it's hard for a driver to see objects on the ground behind the vehicle.

"Another aspect is we just don't have big backyards anymore," she said. "Children today have limited play space and they are using the driveway as their playground."

Fennell was careful not to endorse the Guardian Alert over other products.

"We are working very hard for auto manufacturers to add any type of sensing devices to their vehicles to help prevent these tragedies," she said. "The point is this technology is here and we need it desperately."

Eli Bannister, just 15 months old, died Friday after he was struck by his mother's minivan in the driveway of his home in Wingate, about 45 miles east of Charlotte. On May 27, 2-year-old JaMichael Mazyck died when he was run over by his mother in Charlotte.

According to Fennell's organization, 20 youngsters in the United States have died this year as a result of backing-up accidents. The group says 215 children have been involved in such accidents since 1993, with 193 deaths.

Perhaps the most shocking part of the story is that the numbers are growing. In the early 1990s, the number of backup deaths in the United States was less than 10. There were 38 cases in 2000 and 69 last year.