My worst nightmare nearly happened this morning 😞

[purrswhileheeats]

I was reversing out of my driveway and almost ran over my neighbour's child, he was directly behind my car. He's no more than three years old and the only reason I saw him was he was waving his arms in the air and I saw them in my rear view mirror. He's so tiny I wouldn't have seen him otherwise as he was below the level of the back window IFYSWIM. My neighbour was loading stuff into his boot so I beeped the horn and shouted to him, he ran over, grabbed the boy and took him inside.

I was shaking and crying (sorry, that's so MN) when I got to work. They're a new family on the estate, only moved in a few months ago. The dad must've known the boy was playing outside while he was loading the car but didn't bother to check where he was.

I'm waiting for them to come home so I can go and speak to them. It's so horrible, I feel sick thinking about what could have happened.

[LubaLuca]

Start reversing on to your driveway. Things like this are easily avoided.

[Slimmingstar]

It’s bad parenting on their side, but can you reverse your car into your spot so you always drive out forward?

[Terrazzo]

Yeah you should reverse in in any case. Absolutely horrible experience for you though!! I hate my kids running down the streets here as a car could come out of a driveway at any time. Scary!

[FenceSplinters]

That must have really shook you up.

[purrswhileheeats]

I was backing out really slowly and carefully as I always do; I use my wing mirrors on the driveway, stop and look around before reversing slowly. I had no idea a child was behind my car.

[sherlockhomeless]

That's poor parenting on their part. Have a sugary tea x

[Firstbornunicorn]

Not always possible to reverse in: I have to drive into mine to charge.

OP, something similar happened to me a few months after I started driving and I’ve never forgotten it 😭
Our current car has a reversing camera, which really helps with this fear.

[Terrazzo]

Yeah but the point is you can't see a kid behind your car using just your mirrors, as if they're behind your boot you the mirrors can't see so nor can you. Just reverse in!

[Terrazzo]

Or yes, reversing camera, that's a perfect solution.

[nancydrew]

OP, I was so upset when someone ran out at a pelican crossing when it was green for drivers, still remember it vividly

[flapjackfairy]

Well presumably you could run over them just the same when reversing onto the drive.

[Frazzledd]

You saw him, it didn't happen, breathe....

I can imagine how awful you must feel OP, faults aside, accidents like these do happen and a near miss is still traumatic, I imagine you've been going through the 'what ifs' all day, it's shock.

Go and have a chat with your neighbour if it makes you feel better, have you met them? Tell them how you feel and hopefully it'll be a good reminder how they should be paying more attention.

[MorganSeventh]

But there's no guarantee that the kid won't be behind them if they reverse in, either, if the parents are letting them play around on the driveway unsupervised.

[couchparsnip]

You can get rear sensors retro fitted into lots of cars.

[purrswhileheeats]

It's difficult to reverse onto my driveway, I live on a small complex (townhouses), there's a communal garden in the middle and the driveways are at angles.

Thank you though, I was really shaken but also angry at neighbour

[Dillydollydingdong]

Not quite sure how reversing in would help? You're still reversing, one way or the other and there could be a toddler on your driveway. Maybe CCTV?

[dudsville]

Oh my god, I can just imagine the sick feeling a fight like that would cause. How awful. Remember it didn't happen, probably due to your careful approach.

[Stormyequine]

I'm not sure how reversing in would help, surely just as likely to not see a child reversing in, as out? Horrible experience for you OP but ultimately no one was hurt.

I had a similar experience years ago driving forward out of my drive. Neighbours toddler was in front of my car, in the road, (very quiet cul-de-sac) but as it was a land rover with a high front I couldn't see him. I only avoided hitting him as his mum saw what was happening and screamed. It still makes me shudder to think of it now.

[dudsville]

Fright,not fight.

[zaffa]

I understand OP. We live on a busy road with foot traffic and parents give no thought to letting their kids run or scoot ahead across people's entrance to their drives without checking. We all have six foot fences out front due to traffic noise and I have had to stop sharply more than once as a child suddenly shoots out in front of me on a scooter.

The worst are primary school children cycling to / from school who use the pavement (not a cycle path) and don't check who is coming out.

[Crockof]

People always say just reverse in, but the same is true, you still won't see the small child, I know because it happened this week in my village, child knocked down by someone slowly reversing into their drive.

[purrswhileheeats]

@Frazzledd

You saw him, it didn't happen, breathe....

I can imagine how awful you must feel OP, faults aside, accidents like these do happen and a near miss is still traumatic, I imagine you've been going through the 'what ifs' all day, it's shock.

Go and have a chat with your neighbour if it makes you feel better, have you met them? Tell them how you feel and hopefully it'll be a good reminder how they should be paying more attention.

Exactly, everyone's lives could have changed in a split second.

I don't really know the family but they seem decent, I expect the father was more shocked than me when he grabbed his child. They're not home yet, they're Romanian so I just hope we can communicate (I think they speak some English).

[onemouseplace]

This is my worst nightmare as well. I also have to reverse out of my drive, at the bottom of a hill on the corner of a bend that children come screaming down on scooters and bikes. I inch out and always have my windows open so I can hear as much as I can, but it still gives me the heebie jeebies.

[nevernotstruggling]

You were going slowly enough to stop. They should have been supervising. This must have been very very upsetting and I know how this would affect me so completely sympathise.

[Quarantino]

Good on you for spotting him. Agree with pps that either way you reverse in you potentially have the same problem. Have to say i love my reversing cameras and would recommend!