By NEIL H. SIMON, Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON-Meredyth Bryant never planned on being a child safety advocate.
But after seeing her daughter Annabelle, who was just 2, die in their own driveway, Bryant took up the cause of child car safety, founding Annabelle's Angels to raise awareness of back-over accidents.
Bryant of Glen Allen, Va., joined safety groups in Washington Wednesday in honoring members of Congress who helped pass a children's transportation safety bill. President Bush signed the law Feb. 28.
"It could have, in one way or another, saved her," said Bryant. Her daughter was killed in May 2005 when a man who had been painting the Bryants' home accidentally backed over Annabelle with his pickup truck.
"She was a 2-and-half-year-old in the blind zone," Bryant said. "She happened to be in the exact perfect spot."
After five years, the child safety group Kids and Cars succeeded this year in getting a new law that sets a rear visibility standard for the auto industry.
"Right now, we're all backing up blind and that's not right," said Kids and Cars president Janette Fennell.
Under the law, the secretary of transportation has three years to write regulations ensuring that drivers can see behind their vehicles.
But Fennell hopes consumers and car dealers won't wait that long.
Fifty children are hit and two die from back-over accidents every week, Fennell said. "We've got to get these numbers down."
Automakers would be able to use cameras, rear sensors, bigger mirrors, back windows or other design changes to improve safety, advocates said.
"We want it to be standard, so people don't pick heated seats or a sunroof over it," Bryant said.
"It's already changing, because I'm seeing so many more commercials that are mentioning it now, showing the cameras. Before, people didn't even know it was," she said.
But after seeing her daughter Annabelle, who was just 2, die in their own driveway, Bryant took up the cause of child car safety, founding Annabelle's Angels to raise awareness of back-over accidents.
Bryant of Glen Allen, Va., joined safety groups in Washington Wednesday in honoring members of Congress who helped pass a children's transportation safety bill. President Bush signed the law Feb. 28.
"It could have, in one way or another, saved her," said Bryant. Her daughter was killed in May 2005 when a man who had been painting the Bryants' home accidentally backed over Annabelle with his pickup truck.
"She was a 2-and-half-year-old in the blind zone," Bryant said. "She happened to be in the exact perfect spot."
After five years, the child safety group Kids and Cars succeeded this year in getting a new law that sets a rear visibility standard for the auto industry.
"Right now, we're all backing up blind and that's not right," said Kids and Cars president Janette Fennell.
Under the law, the secretary of transportation has three years to write regulations ensuring that drivers can see behind their vehicles.
But Fennell hopes consumers and car dealers won't wait that long.
Fifty children are hit and two die from back-over accidents every week, Fennell said. "We've got to get these numbers down."
Automakers would be able to use cameras, rear sensors, bigger mirrors, back windows or other design changes to improve safety, advocates said.
"We want it to be standard, so people don't pick heated seats or a sunroof over it," Bryant said.
"It's already changing, because I'm seeing so many more commercials that are mentioning it now, showing the cameras. Before, people didn't even know it was," she said.