It's a scary statistic: Each year 18,000 people in the US are injured
in "back over" accidents, and another 300 are killed. No doubt the
majority of these are mowed down with automobiles and pickups, vehicles that
are admittedly easier to see behind than RVs. What can you do to increase the margin of safety when backing up your rig?
First, know about blind spots. Towed cars have them; imagine
how much more so for motorhomes and towables. That blind spot immediately
behind your rig could prove to be some kind of magnet for a small child. Know
your blind spot. Here's how:
Using a standard traffic safety cone (28" high) as a
"target," have a helper move the cone away from your rear bumper's
center point. Move it straight back until you can see the top of the cone
through the rear view mirror (if you have such an animal) or see the cone in
your rear view mirrors. If you have a backup camera, check the monitor to see
where the top of the cone will first appear. From where you can first see the
cone back to the rig is your blind zone.
Equipping your rig with a back up camera and monitor will go
a long way to increasing pedestrian safety. Other tips will help, too.
Do a walk around: Before you back your rig up, walk behind
the rig to make sure there's nothing (and nobody) back there. If you're clear,
then move the rig immediately so that the situation doesn't change without you
knowing it. If there are children about, have an adult helper "spot"
for you as you back up.
Teach any child that travels with you the "stay on the
grass" rule. That is, if they see someone walking toward a parked rig or
hear the engine start to stay on the grass, far away from the pavement or a rig
parking area.
When parking the towed car in a driveway, park near the
street end of the drive if kids play in the drive.
When parking a rig in a parking lot, park out away from a
store entrance. This is pretty automatic when parking a big rig or towed
vehicle, but the towed car is a different matter. Since everyone has to come
out of the store entrance to get to their own car, the greater the chance of
backing over someone the closer your own car is to the store entrance.
photo: msvg on flickr.com
