Demonstration shows how hard it is to see a small child on the road



REDMOND, Wash. -- It's a parent's worst nightmare -- a young child bolting into oncoming traffic.

A 2-year old girl died Wednesday when she got away from her nanny and ran in front of a car at the Redmond Town Center.

A 25-year-old Kenmore man was coming to a stop at the intersection of Northeast 74th Street and 164th Avenue Northeast when the toddler ran in front of his car.

Redmond police say they don’t expect to charge the driver because it was just a tragic accident. But the incident is a great reminder for drivers to stay extra cautious.

“Children are playing all times night or day during the summer,” John Lange of the Safety First Driving School said.

Lange showed us just how hard it is for drivers to see a small child.

We used a box with cones on top the same height of an average 2-year-old.

Lange backed up and stopped when he could clearly see the child.

We measured the distance between the cones and the car with a tape measure that indicated it was 17 feet.

At 17 feet, a driver would have very little time to react if a child ran into the road.

With children outside during the warm summer months, it's so important for everyone to be aware.

“A child can be so small and surprise us by coming out of a blind spot so quickly,” Lange said.

The Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center says if a pedestrian is hit by a car going just 40 mph, there is an 80% fatality rate, meaning 8 out of 10 people would most likely die in that scenario.