Kids and cars are a recipe for disaster. Whether innocent passengers in the back of a car or through playing on our roads, thousands of accidents and fatal injuries among the young occur every year. As parents, protect your children as much as possible, without the need to call on a personal injury lawyer when an accident does occur. Below are some child safety tips for parents.
Educate your children
The better their education when out on the road, whether they are walking, cycling, or playing, the safer they will be. Teach them road safety rules, from following road signage to knowing how to cross the road safely.
Make sure you follow these same habits when out with your children. Take every opportunity to remind them of the dangers present on the road.
Never leave your kids alone in the car
Even if you are heading into the service station to pay for fuel, there are several dangers that can affect your child. The threat of strangers is one, and your child’s mischief is another, especially if they decide to wander out of the car.
Remember too, that many children become unwell and die because of heat stroke in high temperatures when left in a car. So, do the right thing and don’t take any risks, even if you think you will only be gone for a moment.
Buckle your kids in the car
Your children must always wear a seatbelt. This is common knowledge, I know, but children can unbuckle themselves if they feel uncomfortable.
For this reason, check that the seatbelts aren’t too tight or too loose on your kids. Ensure they have a comfortable and safe journey.
Install infant car seats correctly
Young children must always have a designated car seat, but research suggests that 95% of parents install them incorrectly. This is a shocking statistic.
If you are in any doubt about your child’s car seat, visit a certified Child Passenger Safety technician to have it installed correctly. Ensure you always buy a car seat from a reputable seller too, for extra safety and peace of mind.
Distract your child
Are you tired of your child who’s sat in the back of the car telling you “I’m bored” or asking “Are we there yet?” Not only is it annoying, but it can also be downright dangerous when you are trying to keep your eyes on the road.
So, to ensure you aren’t distracted by your child’s nagging, give them something to distract their attention, from coloring books to a portable DVD player attached to the back of your seat.
Keep a tidy car for kids safety
To keep your child safe and healthy, ensure your car is free of anything that could cause harm. Loose items can be swallowed by young children.
Also, in the event of an accident, things such as toys, bottles, and other items may fly through the air. That can cause injuries when you come to a sudden stop.
Be a safe driver
By being a safe driver on your road trip, you are:
a) protecting your child when in the car;
b) teaching your child good habits, and
c) protecting other children on the road
You don’t want to be the one responsible for any accident or fatality. So, always ensure you adhere to good driving habits when behind the wheel.
Do you have any other safety tips you think parents need to be aware of? If so, please let us know in the comments section below.
Photo: Never leave your child alone in the car. Photo via Pixabay, CC0 Creative Commons.
Thanks Christy for sharing this informative blog on road safety. Your blog post will definitely prove an useful manual on road safety for young parents. Keep posting blog like this.
How wonderful to receive this feedback and encouragement today!
Great read, you may be interested in my blog for parent tips from a professional’s perspective ☺️
Very informative tips .. thanks for sharing
Great post, thanks!
Very informative post good keep it up:)
I’m big on carseat safety! Great tips!
Thanks for this great blog. Super important for all parents to be aware of car safety for their children.
Excellent points for child safety and cars. I applaud the young parents in our neighborhood…as the children are starting to ride bikes, I hear the Mom and Dads carefully instruct them about cars….what to watch for etc. Living here in the Phoenix area…leaving a child alone in a car is a huge no…no due to the extreme heat during the summer. Unfortunately every year a parent just “runs in for a second” and returns to a child with heat exhaustion or death. Since this is a well know problem here in the desert, a number of people check cars in parking lots as they walk into air conditioned stores just to make sure there aren’t any kids left in cars….has become second nature to most people. Great post!!
Thanks for sharing a post on such an important topic, Christy. It always horrifies me when I spot a car on the road with young children obviously not buckled in. Unfortunately some people don’t naturally think about the risks they take until they have them pointed out, usually multiple times.
So true!! I learned this the other day when I ran into get gas and my toddler had unbuckled her car seat somehow and climbed into front seat. Thankfully car was still locked and I had keys but a scary reminder
A parent has so much to think about. From diapers to diplomas, theirs is a life’s challenge, a career. I never had children, so I don’t have a lot of tips in raising them. Chapeau to all parents!!!!
Dear Christy, it is great tips. All machines have benefits, as well as potential dangers. Maybe we should first think about the dangers before using the machine. Safety first. :)
Safety is first, absolutely. Thanks Hilal!
Thanks, Christy B for your informative and important post.This is more necessary to read this article for every parent. I think you can add “car seat safety” topics to your post.But your all topics are really good.
Great post, Christy about such an important topic. It saddens my heart to hear of so many children dying after being left alone in a car. Another thing we hear too much of is young children being run over in their driveway by a parent or grandparent backing out. The introduction of reversing cameras and sensors should help reduce this, but it happens all too often. So I would add to your list for parents to make sure they know where all the children are – to have them in their sight – before they reverse.
This would serve as a great little handbook for a few young parents I know! Terrific post, Christy ❤
There’s a barrage of videos of parents leaving their kids in the car. I have always wondered why. There’s a particular video where a mom had gone shopping leaving the kid inside the car, and when she returned with four bags of clothes, cops had already taken the child out, luckily in time. As per a report, on average, 37 kids die in hot cars every year in the United States.
Very important post.
A great reminder about safety when it comes to children and cars. One can never be too careful. I totally agree with the idea of not living children in the car even if it is just for a moment. Thanks for sharing.
Great tips Christy,
I agree with you and especially with number two. Safety first ,right .
Thank you
A great post about a very important topic, Christy.