A utility crew discovered a young boy in the wheel well of their truck while conducting a “Circle of Safety” walkaround. It is unthinkable what could have happened if they had gotten in the truck and drove off without doing the required walkaround inspection. By taking 30 seconds to walk around your vehicle looking for hidden and unseen hazards you can protect yourself, the municipality’s assets, and possibly another person’s life.

In the past 3 years Oklahoma municipalities have had 166 claims filed against them for damage to property or persons injured due to improper backing. It is the second most common claim filed against insured municipal vehicles. The sad fact is all of them could have been prevented if cities and towns had a policy and procedure to perform a 360-degree walkaround before getting in a vehicle and driving away. Just a few seconds of looking for potential hazards can prevent a backing accident or maybe save the life of a curious child.

The “Circle of Safety” procedure is a safe practice any driver can follow to ensure the area around their vehicle is safe before departing. Simply walk all the way around your vehicle and check the clearances to the side, in front, behind, and above. When backing into a parking space or work area, look for obstacles such as poles, other vehicles, drop-offs, and trash cans or buildings. Prior to departing, make sure to check if any pedestrians may have entered your path of travel. Whenever possible, back into a parking space or driveway to increase visibility when departing or pull through to a space that leaves your vehicle pointing out. If you must park the vehicle in a position that requires backing, leave the vehicle positioned to maximize visibility to the rear and critical areas adjacent to the vehicle. And finally, always check under your vehicle and around the wheel wells just in case a curious child has gotten stuck in there. This is no joke. Each year in the United State, 2,400 children are backed over.