Inside: How To Keep Your Kids Safe on the Road. Collaborative post.
Taking a road trip with your kids is one of life’s greatest treasures. The look of adventure and curiosity in their eyes makes every mile worth it. However, when you consider that 1,093 children were killed in accidents in 2020 alone, that joyful feeling could quickly turn to dread.
But with a little guidance and proactive measures, you can keep your child safe on the road, even when you’re not with them.
Photo by Emma Frances Logan on Unsplash
Choose a Safe Vehicle
Not all cars are created equal; some are considerably safer than others. As a general rule of thumb, a vehicle with a high safety rating is more dependable. Most newer models come equipped with safety features like traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, and airbags. But, if you’re going for ultimate safety, you should check out NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings before buying your next vehicle.
Practice Safe Driving Habits
Even the safest car in the world wouldn’t do your passengers good if you drive recklessly. As a parent with a child in the car, you should always practice safe driving habits. This means not violating any traffic laws, driving while intoxicated, or driving without a safety belt.
Practicing safe driving habits not only keeps everyone safe but also sets a good example for your kids.
Activate Child Safety Locks
Driving around with an unlocked car door is never a good idea, especially if there’s a child seated right next to it—children like to fiddle with things around them. Recent studies reveal that up to 1000 children are treated for injuries caused by power windows each year, and that’s not mentioning the number that has fallen out of moving vehicles after opening the door.
Learn Car Seat Safety
The right car seat can make all the difference in case of an accident. Child car seats are specially designed to keep them safe in case of collisions, emergency braking, and other road hazards.
However, having the right car seat installed isn’t enough to keep your child safe. You also need to know how to use it. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 59% of car seats are misused in a way that could reduce their effectiveness.
When choosing a car seat, you should follow these tips:
- Choose the correct seat based on your child’s age, weight, and height.
- Read the instructions carefully when installing the seat.
- Follow guidelines for proper use.
Assign Car Seats
Every child wants to sit at the front. You might get away with preventing them from doing it when they’re still in their booster seat, but things get tougher as they outgrow it and want to sit at the front with you.
While this may seem harmless, front-seat airbags have been known to cause severe injuries to young children seated at the front. Experts advise having your kids sit at the back at least until they are 13. Assigning a specific seat also makes it easier to keep an eye on them while you’re driving.
Avoid Having Solid Food in the Car
A small snack on the road doesn’t hurt, right? Well, statistics prove otherwise. Letting children eat solid food in the car could be very risky. Solid food increases the risk of choking in small children due to the vehicle’s motion.
Practice Safe Routes
No matter how young you think your child is, they’ll have to cross the road alone at some point in their lives, maybe even sooner. Whether they are coming home from school or going to the park with friends, your children should always know how to cross the road safely.
The best way to teach them is by identifying safe routes and practicing with them. Besides teaching them the skills they need to cross the road, seeing you do it makes them more confident. As an added advantage, once your child knows they have a safe route to get to where they’re going, they are less likely to take more dangerous routes.
Talk to Your Child About Road Safety
It’s never too early to start teaching your kids about the dangers of the road. However, some parents do it wrong. By solely focusing on the dangers, you could end up scaring your children. Instead, you should focus more on teaching kids how to avoid and deal with risks. For instance, instead of telling them only about the dangers of crossing the road, tell them why it is dangerous, where they should cross, and how to do it.
While you’re at it, remember to approach the subject in an age-appropriate way. This includes both how you talk to them and the information you provide them. For instance, if you’re talking to a seven-year-old about road safety, it’s best to tell them not to cross the road unless they’re with an adult.
Teach Your Kids How to Use Public Transport Safely
While using public transport may be natural to you, it might not be the case for your children. Therefore, you should teach them how to use every means of public transport. For instance, it’s a good idea to remind them to fasten their seatbelts on the couch, stand behind the line at the train station, and never cross the road immediately in front or behind a stationary bus or train.
Secure Loose Objects
When it comes to moving vehicles, any loose object can become a dangerous projectile, especially if you brake suddenly. Therefore, it helps to keep small objects secure. For instance, you could keep store items in the glove box, center capsule, or even in your pockets. Similarly, you should secure large objects under seats or on the floor, or better yet, keep them in the trunk.
Keep Your Child Safe
Cars are useful, but they present some of the greatest dangers to children. The best that any parent or guardian can do is to keep their children safe in any way they can. This includes both practicing in-car safety like using the right car seat and ensuring they fasten their seatbelts and road safety for when you’re not around.