A recent rise in catastrophic injuries to young children from ride-on mowers has prompted one expert to sound a warning.
A Queensland child health expert says ride-on mowers should have far more safety features to prevent the devastating injuries they can cause to young children.
Dr Sasaka Bandaranayake, a paediatric rehabilitation specialist with the Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service, said even if children were not fatally injured, the types of injuries they suffered were still life altering. Six children under the age of eight needed lower-limb amputations at the Queensland Children’s Hospital as a result of ride-on mower incidents between July 2021 and April 2022.
Ride-on mowers are a part of life for families in outer suburbs and regional areas, but Bandaranayake said there needs to be real action taken to minimise the risk to young children. She said simple safety measures such as putting the reverse button at the back of the mower, requiring the driver to turn around, could help reduce injuries.
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