Kiddipedia
In Australia, one child every week is struck by a moving car in their own driveway. Now is the time to make the garage and driveway safer for families.
To help prevent avoidable injuries around the driveway and garage, leading garage door opener and accessories brand, Merlin, is supporting Kidsafe Australia.
In Australia, one child every week1 is struck by a moving car in their own driveway, and the latest data reveals that garage and driveway-related incidents are on the rise too.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare2, 3,475 driveway and 2,792 garage-related accidents resulted in hospitalisations in Australia between 2020-21.
These figures represent a 28 per cent increase in driveway accidents, and 19 per cent rise in garage incidents since 2016.
Merlin’s partnership with Kidsafe Australia will aims to educate Australians on garage and driveway through events, educational resources and activations, and will help give families the confidence that their children, pets and belongings are safe in high-risk areas at home.
“It’s alarming to see that garage and driveway injuries are on the rise in Australia. We are proud to partner with Kidsafe Australia to take action and start a conversation in households across the country about being safe in the garage and driveway,” says Grant Emanuel, Marketing & Partnership Director at Merlin.
“The garage door is usually the largest moving object in the home and can present a serious risk to children. Reinforcing good safety behaviours and having a safety plan in place around the driveway and garage is a must for every family,” says Kidsafe Australia President, Christopher Zinn.
“We’re delighted to have the support from Merlin to help educate families on garage and driveway safety and share the steps that Australians can take to stay safe.”
A vision for driveway and garage safety for all
Merlin and Kidsafe Australia want every family to begin their garage safety journey with four easy steps:
- Always supervise children when in the garage or on the driveway
- Identify a safe place for the family to stand when there is a car moving in the driveway
- If you don’t know, don’t Check that the driveway is clear by walking around the car every time you leave
- Understand the safety features of your garage door opener and invest in additional smart safety equipment, such as Merlin’s myQ technology or Safety Beams to keep the family safe
Merlin advises that a safe garage door opener will always include an auto-reverse function. This is a standard feature in all Merlin openers.
Safety Beams are another great tool to help protect the family in the garage. If the beams detect a child, pet or even a toy while in operation, the garage door will immediately reverse.
“Smart technology, such as Merlin’s myQ, can also provide parents and carers with additional confidence that all family members and visitors to the home are kept safe by knowing if the garage door is open or closed and they also come standard with safety beams. Through the myQ App, parents can receive alerts if the garage door has been accidentally left open and then close the door remotely in a safe manner thanks to the safety beams” says Grant Emanuel.
“Good safety practices combined with smart and safety technology can make a real difference to your family’s wellbeing in the garage or driveway,” concludes Grant.
You can read more about garage and driveway safety in the Merlin and Kidsafe Australia Garage Safety Guide at www.gomerlin.com.au/garagesafety.
1 A. P. Anthikkat, A. Page and R. Barker Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 49 (2013) 388–393
2 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare hospital data, 2020-2021
Merlin
Merlin is a brand of the Chamberlain Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of automatic garage door openers. Our global experience and innovation has resulted in industry leading designs and some of the most reliable and efficient products available in Australia and New Zealand.
The Merlin brand is committed to ensuring the safety of your most valuable assets. We are determined to maintain and continue our reputation as an industry leader by exceeding our customers’ expectations and providing exceptional products and services.
To learn more about Merlin, click here.
Kidsafe Australia
Kidsafe is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation with the vision to make the world a safer place for kids by leading the promotion of action to highlight and to minimise the unacceptable level of risk and consequence of injury to children in our adult-focused world. To learn more about Kidsafe Australia, visit www.kidsafe.com.au
