The death of a five-year-old boy hit by an SUV in a driveway in Blenheim on Friday has prompted a call for new ways to improve rear vision in the vehicles.
Police said the death of Sai Prateek Gaur happened in "tragic circumstances" after he was run overby a 4WD driven by his father.
Acting Area Commander Tony Sampson of Marlborough police said the accident happened about 6:30pm on Friday.
The little boy was taken to Wairau Hospital by family members, but died shortly afterwards.
At least nine children have died in New Zealand in driveway accidents since 2003.
The Sunday Star Times reported SafeKids New Zealand figures showed SUVs were over-represented in driveway accidents. Despite representing just 2 per cent of vehicles in the Auckland region, they were involved in nearly 8 per cent of accidents.
SafeKids director Ann Weaver said the organisation was pushing for all vehicles to have monitors built into their dashboards, which showed when someone was behind the car.
Ms Weaver said SUVs were higher and therefore could be particularly difficult to see from, but it was a problem for all vehicles and they were pushing for blanket improvements.
Sai Prateek's mother, Neenu Gaur, told the newspaper the accident was so quick her husband was still unsure what happened.
The family, originally from India, moved to New Zealand from Australia after they honeymooned here. They went to Tauranga, where Sai Prateek was born, before settling in Blenheim.
The case has been referred to the coroner and police are investigating.
