These children don't appear in the minivan driver's mirrors. Photo Kevin Link
FEATURED IN HEALTH AND SAFETY
- What Did You Say? A Humorous Look at Treating Deaf Patients
- Recommendations for Creating an EMS Culture of Safety
- Avoid Supermarket Ploys to Eat Healthier
- Set SMART Goals to Make Up for Abandoned New Year’s Resolutions
- Preventing Violence Against EMS and First Responders
- The Final EMS Call of Cody Medley & Tim McCormick
- An EMT’s Close Call Provides a Lesson about Health & Wellness
Editor's Note: June is National Safety Month. Stay safe out there.
The larger the vehicle, the larger the blind spot. And blind spots can cause accidents.
A crew from Wheatland EMS in Strathmore, Alberta, Canada went to Brentwood Elementary School to demonstrate just how many grade one and two students they could put behind a vehicle in this blind spot in hope to make the local public aware of this under recognized fact and hopefully prevent a future tragedy.
Shaunna Muenchrath, who was sitting in the driver's seat of the mini-van stated, "I was surprised sitting there and I couldn't see one of them." She couldn't see a single child sitting in the grass behind her vehicle. But there was not just one child, there were 76 children sitting behind her van. And they were invisible to her through her mirrors. "The best safety advice for blind spots: Before backing up walk around your vehicle both front and back," explained EMT-A Julia Smith.
Kevin Link is a paramedic who works with Wheatland EMS in Strathmore, Alberta, Canada. He is also an EMS photographer.
