Rollaway Accident Prevention
A rollaway accident occurs when an unattended vehicle begins to move without a driver. It can happen on a flat surface when the transmission is not fully in park. It can happen on a slope when the parking brake is not engaged. It can happen in a driveway when a child releases the parking brake while playing inside the vehicle. In every one of these scenarios, the accident is preventable — and the prevention requires nothing more than four habits practiced without exception.
Rollaway incidents injure or kill hundreds of people in the United States each year, and the victims are disproportionately children under the age of five. The majority of fatal rollaways happen in residential driveways, not in public parking lots or on roads. This is a home safety issue as much as a vehicle safety issue, and the habits that prevent it are among the simplest and most actionable in all of vehicle safety.
The Four Habits That Prevent Nearly All Rollaways
Habit 1: Always shift fully into Park before releasing the brake pedal. On many automatic transmission vehicles, it is possible to exit the vehicle while the transmission is not fully engaged in Park — particularly if the driver releases the brake before completing the shift. Develop the discipline of confirming the gear selector is in Park and feeling the vehicle settle into position before your foot ever leaves the brake.
Habit 2: Engage the parking brake every time, regardless of terrain. The parking brake is not just for hills. It is a secondary restraint system designed to hold the vehicle stationary independent of the transmission. Parking brakes that are never used become sticky and unreliable over time. Using yours every single time you park keeps it functional and adds a true failsafe against unintended movement.
Habit 3: Remove the keys from the ignition every single time you exit. A vehicle with keys in the ignition is a vehicle that a child can put into motion. Children as young as two years old have been observed releasing parking brakes and shifting automatic transmissions. Take your keys every time, without exception, even for trips that will only take 30 seconds.
Habit 4: Walk completely around the vehicle before moving it. Children can move from visible to invisible in a vehicle’s blind zones in under two seconds. Before moving your vehicle from any stationary position, take five seconds to physically walk around it. This is especially critical in residential driveways where children play.
A vehicle beginning to roll gives no warning sound. By the time a parent realizes what is happening, the outcome is already determined. The habits that prevent rollaways must be automatic — not reactive.
Teaching Children About Driveway Safety
Children need explicit instruction about where to stand when a vehicle is present. Designate a specific waiting spot — a front step, a marked square on the driveway, a visible landmark — and make it a non-negotiable rule that children go to that spot whenever an adult is getting into or out of a vehicle. This removes the child from the vehicle’s movement zone before movement begins.
- Never allow children to play in or near parked vehicles unsupervised
- Lock vehicles at home to prevent children from climbing in and releasing controls
- Teach children that a running engine means they must not approach the vehicle
- Consider backing into your driveway so you can exit driving forward, with better visibility
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