You always want to keep your kids safe. Any good parent would. When they’re young and vulnerable, you must protect them the most. When they become a little older, they’ll develop some autonomy.
When you drive with your kids in the car, you must protect them. You can do that in a few different ways. We will talk about some of them right now.
How Many Car Accidents Injure Kids?
First, you should understand that car wrecks injure children frequently. US car accidents injured 97,000 kids in 2018, and you can expect similar numbers most years.
Many times, the drivers in these cars engaged in unsafe behaviors. Other times, the kids themselves caused problems that triggered a crash.
4 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe in the Car
It is important to make sure that your children are safe in the car at all times. Keep an eye on their behavior while driving, as distracted driving can be dangerous for both you and your kids.
Tell Your Kids to Control Their Behavior
Monitoring their behavior can help you avoid crashes when you have kids in the car. You can’t always control what your children do completely, but you can tell them they shouldn’t fight or distract you while you’re driving.
You should emphasize how distracted driving can cause a wreck, and if they yell, sing, kick the seat, or do anything else along those lines, that can distract you. You might give your child a book, a toy, a stuffed animal, or something else you know will occupy them when they’re in the car. That can help distract them so they don’t act out while you’re keeping your eyes on the road.
If you have very young children who can’t control themselves or understand you yet when you tell them they must control their behavior, then you must try other means. If your child starts crying or fussing, you might sing a song they like. If they act up too badly, you can always pull over and comfort them.
You can’t stop the car in the middle of the road or on a highway if your young child cries or acts out. You must wait till you reach a safe spot where you can console them if they’re having a temper tantrum.
Get the Proper Car Seat for Them
You should also ensure you get the proper car seat for your child. Most doctors feel you should continue putting your child in a car seat till they reach approximately age 8-12. Usually, you won’t wait till age 12 till you stop bringing a car seat.
Most doctors feel, though, that you should continue using a car seat for your child till they reach 4 feet-9 inches tall. At that point, you can remove the car seat and have them sit in a regular seat.
You should also put the car seat in the backseat with the child facing you. Most doctors and car experts agree that’s how a child gets the maximum protection.
Obey All Traffic Laws
You can also keep your kids safe in the car at any age by obeying all traffic laws. That means sticking to the speed limit and not driving aggressively. If you drive defensively, you make a crash less likely, and you also show your child how they should drive when they turn 16, and they can get their license.
You should also follow all safe road behaviors that aren’t necessarily laws. That means doing things like not tailgating cars ahead of you. It means not brake-checking vehicles behind you.
You should also not eat or drink while you’re driving. You should not answer your smartphone or send a text while you’re driving, either.
If you do all these things, that shows your kids safe driving behaviors that they will likely emulate. Kids follow your behaviors more than you might realize. If you normalize safe driving behaviors and never engage in poor driving habits, your kids probably will learn those lessons.
Teach Your Teen Safe Driving
Once your child turns 16, or even a little before, you can also start teaching them about driving. You can go to a deserted parking lot and let them try driving with you sitting alongside them.
You can show them the brake and the gas. You can show them the turn signals, windshield wipers, etc. That way, you can start teaching them the basics, and they can begin down the path toward responsible adulthood. Most people believe that maturity involves safe driving.
Teaching your kids safe driving habits goes into the same category as showing them how to pay taxes or balance a budget. They’ll use all these skills when they grow up.
Conclusion
It is essential to keep your kids safe in the car at all times. Always make sure that they are properly buckled up with a seat belt or secured in an appropriate child safety seat, depending on their age and size. Make sure that the straps of the seatbelt or harness fit snugly around them so they don’t slide out if you need to brake suddenly. Additionally, never leave your children alone inside a parked car as it can become extremely hot very quickly and put them at risk for heatstroke or other serious health issues.
