A 3-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl hit on Monday by a Victoria train bound for Ballarat were added to growing list of Australian children injured or killed by accidents the past few weeks.

The growing number confirms reports that more Australian children die from injury across the country than from common ailments combined.

The two children from Wallace were playing at a nearby backyard before they ran onto the tracks, causing the boy to suffer severe head and abdominal injuries. The two kids were rushed to the Royal Children's Hospital. While the girl's condition is now stable, the boy is still in a critical condition and his family is holding a vigil at the hospital.

Reports said the train driver stepped on the emergency brake but failed to stop on time, causing the boy to be thrown up to 15 metres from where he was hit. The boy's home is a few metres from the track and it had no fence to prevent access to the railroad.

"They were just friends playing in a yard. It appears they've escaped the mother's watch for a few minutes and came out here to play and the most unfortunate thing has happened," Ballarat Senior Sgt. Neale Robinson told the Herald Sun.

In the last two weeks, three driveway accidents killed three children as their parents unintentionally hit their children while backing off or parking their vehicles.

The rise of children involved mainly in vehicular accidents confirm the finding of Kidsafe, the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia, that 36 per cent of child deaths in the country came from injuries compared to 19 per cent from cancer and 11 per cent from diseases of the nervous system.

For the years 2005-2006, 22,865 children up to age 4 were admitted to Australian hospitals for injuries. The number was second to hospital admissions for respiratory conditions.

Of the unintentional deaths and injuries, 55 per cent happened inside homes and 45 per cent in the backyard. Among the reasons behind the high incidence of injuries and deaths were the height, space and structures built for adult use and comfort, which presents hazards to children.

The top eight causes of children injuries were: falls, burns and scalds, poisoning, vehicular accidents, drowning, dog bites, choking and pedestrian injuries.

To stem the rise of such incidents, child safety Web sites came up with childproofing checklists which includes covering of electric outlets, checking for loose or slippery rugs, removing sharp objects out of the child's reach, moving furniture away from the windows, installing childproof window guards, gates for stairs and cabinet locks, placing safe window decals on floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows or furniture in front of the glass, installing childproof doorknob covers, anti-tip furniture straps, appliance latches and bathroom safety devices.

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