Driveway deaths are preventable: Kidsafe

Child safety advocates have urged motorists to thoroughly check their surroundings before reversing, after a Queensland toddler became the latest young child to die when struck by a car.

CEO of Kidsafe Queensland, Susan Teerds, said the death of 15-month-old Braxton Nowlan at Ipswich, west of Brisbane, on Monday was heartbreaking but preventable.

Braxton died when he was hit by a government car, believed to be used by the Department of Communities, in the driveway of his home.

Ms Teerds says three Queensland children are injured each week by low-speed runovers on driveways, in carparks or campgrounds.

Four of these accidents per year result in death.

All could be prevented if people were less complacent, Ms Teerds said.

"The most difficult thing is to change people's behaviour, and to create an awareness that these things can happen to you," she said.

"They happen to good people, they happen to caring people who don't understand the risks and therefore are not taking the appropriate preventative action."

She urged parents and motorists to adhere to the Kidsafe message of: Supervise, Separate and See.

"When cars are moving about you need to hold kids' hands - don't assume they're inside the house so they're ok," she said.

"Kids are fast. They get out the back door and then the next thing you know they're on the driveway."