As a parent, you must always keep your kids safe. You can never protect them entirely, but at least when they’re still young you have the best opportunity. You can watch over them and take steps to lessen the chances of something unfortunate happening, even if you can’t completely eliminate it.
For instance, you must do what you can to protect your young child when they’re in the car with you. In 2019, 14% of child vehicular passenger deaths occurred in front seats, with more taking place in the back.
It’s worth talking about you can do to try to keep your kids safe when they’re in the car with you. Let’s do so right now.
Make Sure They Sit in a Child’s Safety Seat till They Outgrow It
First, you should know about child safety seats in cars. If you have an infant, then you should put them in the appropriate safety seat. Once they outgrow it, you can get them a larger one.
You can speak to your child’s doctor about what kind of child safety seat to get them. You will probably see if you look on Amazon or in a brick-and-mortar store location that you have many options.
It can seem overwhelming sometimes, especially with all the advice you might see on parenting websites. Some might even feature contradictory information.
That’s why talking to a qualified doctor makes the most sense. They can tell you what brand of car seat they recommend, and they can tell you exactly when your child no longer needs it. Usually, they can stop using one when they reach a certain height, weight, or age.
Make Sure They Wear Their Seatbelts
Once your child no longer has to use a car seat, they might feel pleased. They’ve reached a milestone, the same as they may feel when they walk for the first time or use the potty on their own.
They still need to wear a seatbelt, though, just like an adult. They need one with both the lap band and shoulder harness.
Virtually every modern car comes with them, and you can show your youngster how to wear it. You can also set a good example for them by wearing your seatbelt every time you get in the car as well.
Try to emphasize to them how much it matters. Also keep in mind that kids emulate their parents more than you might think. If they see that you wear a seatbelt with a shoulder harness every time you drive, even if you’re just going around the block, then they should do the same.
Use Automatic Locks for the Backseat
You can also use the vehicle’s automatic locks when you have your kids in the backseat. You may have a rambunctious youngster who likes to play with things, especially things that you say they should leave alone. They might try to unbuckle themselves from the car seat or seatbelt and open a car door when you have the vehicle still in motion.
If they do that when you’re out on the highway somewhere, that potentially spells disaster. It is not unheard of for a child to fall out of a vehicle’s backseat if they opened the door on their own.
Luckily, many modern cars have automatic locks for the backseat that you can only control from the driver’s seat. Use them if you have them.
You can also talk to your kids about how they need to stay in the seats with their seatbelt on when you have the car in motion. However, if they’re too young to understand you, that’s when you need to use the automatic locks more than ever.
Talk to Them About Car Safety
You can also talk to them about car safety when they reach a certain age. Maybe they’re a little younger when you have this talk with them if you feel they can handle it. If they’re slower about learning things, then perhaps you must wait till they’re a bit older.
Whenever you feel they can understand and retain the information, sit them down and have this talk. You might bring up some stats about car accidents or anything else that seems appropriate. If you don’t think that will sink in, then try to frame the conversation’s seriousness in a different way.
Tell them that when you’re driving, you need them to sit quietly and not distract you. Explain that when you’re out on the road, you’re driving very fast, and if they kick the seat, yell at you, or do something similar, then it’s very dangerous. Hopefully, what you say will sink in.
Give Them Toys or Books to Distract Them
You might also give them a toy or book to distract them if you feel that might help. Some cars come with onboard entertainment systems. The high-end ones often have screens on the back of the driver and front passenger’s seats.
You might buy such a vehicle and put on SpongeBob or Blue’s Clues when you stow the kids in the backseat of the car. That should keep them busy till you get where you’re going.
You might also play a game if they’re old enough. You may ask if they can spot license plates from different states. You could sing a song from your childhood or one they learned at camp.
If you do all of these things, then you can probably keep your kids safe. You can also follow all traffic safety laws. By doing so, you’re setting a great example that your children should remember and follow when they become teenagers.
You can avoid letting your smartphone distract you while driving. Distracted driving kills and injures many motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians every year, so showing your kids that you won’t look at a text you receive while driving also sets a good example.
You can protect your kids through the proper precautions and driving behaviors.