A boy practicing riding a bicycle in an underground parking lot is hit by a car.

Accidents Involving Children Caused by Blind Spots in Parking Lots

This is not the first time a child has been run over by a vehicle in a residential complex parking lot in China. In November 2024, a strikingly similar accident occurred in Yulin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where a two-year-old boy riding a balance bike was struck and killed by an SUV making a left turn. The Traffic Management Bureau of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department has also identified parking lots within residential complexes and roadside parking spaces as hotspots for child-related traffic accidents, urging the public to exercise caution.

A key factor behind these incidents is the extent of the “blind spots” invisible to the driver. Actual measurements indicate that the blind spot in front of a vehicle can conceal approximately 30 children, while the side blind spot can hide around 40; small children who are crouching or sitting on the ground are particularly difficult to spot. Chinese insurance companies are advising drivers to start moving slowly and use their horns, while urging parents not to let children play in parking lots or near vehicles. Similar accidents involving low-speed vehicles striking children—often referred to as “front-over” incidents—claim the lives of 366 children annually in the United States, demonstrating that the dangers lurking in familiar spaces like parking lots are a challenge shared across regions.