ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Watch Out for Children

It gains little to blame anyone for the recent death of 5-year-old Bren Mangubat, the Cypress boy who was struck by a pickup truck as he darted across the street after buying a treat from an ice cream truck vendor.

But perhaps Bren’s death can be instructive in avoiding such tragedies in the future. First, as Bren’s father learned so painfully, young children can’t be trusted to cross streets unattended, even if they are smart and careful, as Bren’s father said his son was. Parents always must be the final protectors in such situations.

By the same token, those of us driving through neighborhoods must navigate with greater care around ice cream trucks, just as we do near schools and school buses.

But the vendors also have something to learn about protecting their young customers from harm. Aware of this, many cities, including several in Orange County, impose special regulations on ice cream trucks.

Ice cream trucks are different from other vending trucks in that they mostly sell their treats to children and operate from the street. For this reason, Santa Ana, for example, requires ice cream truck operators to carry $1 million in liability insurance. Other cities ban the alluring music that attracts children, or limit sales from trucks to off-street locations.

Somehow, however, there must be a way to establish basic rules to address ice cream truck sales.

Safety training for drivers or perhaps a special permit might help. Certainly, all ice cream trucks should be required to be equipped with mirrors that give drivers a view of the rear of their vehicles, to make sure no children are nearby as they drive away. And truck owners may need to provide liability insurance to drivers who rent vehicles from them.

The chimes of ice cream trucks and their cold, sweet treats can be a fun part of summer. But tragic incidents such as that involving Bren are reminders that extra caution is needed when children are present.