Dec 24 2018 December 24, 2018 December 24, 2018 1Comment by Scott Marshall

5 Tips for Keeping Your Children Safe on the Road

Posted in

Cars are so much safer today than ever before, and that alone can give us peace of mind as parents. But still, we worry. In truth, there are still dangers and things we can do to increase our road safety. After all, it’s better to be over prepared than under, right?

With that in mind, let’s explore 5 tips for keeping your children safe on the road.

  1. Evaluate your vehicle

If you’re driving a vehicle that’s a decade or older, it may be time to upgrade. Take a look at some of the standard features in today’s safe new vehicles, and you’ll see that they’re probably a lot safer than what you’re driving. Even airbags have come a long way in the past ten years.

  1. Perform regular safety inspections

Regardless of your car’s age, make sure it’s performing at it’s best when you’re driving precious cargo around. This means getting regular oil changes, rotating your tires and checking fluids. Also, check your tire pressure and tread on a regular basis. If you aren’t comfortable doing any of these things, bring your car to the mechanic. It’s always better (and cheaper) to maintain your car instead of fixing something that’s broken. Keeping your car in tip-top shape will also help dangerous road situations like blowouts and breakdowns.

  1. Read your car seat’s manual

We’ve become a society of people who toss instruction books left and right, but this is one you need to read. Most people install car seats incorrectly, and this leaves their children at risk of being seriously injured in a crash. They have good intentions, but this is a case where you need to follow instructions to the letter. So dig out that old instruction book (or find it online) and make sure you’re doing it right. Here are some general tips that work for most car seats.

  1. Make sure the chest clip rests on your child’s chest. This was designed to sit here because your child’s rib cage can withstand the pressure of the clip under most circumstances. If it’s too low, there aren’t bones to provide a barrier between the clip and the child’s internal organs so that any pressure could cause serious damage.
  2. Take off large coats or outerwear before putting your child into the car seat. The outwear will compress quickly in an accident, and that leaves room for your child to experience more of the impact.
  3. Always wear your seat belt

Just like you’d inflate your mask first on an airplane, you need to make sure your seat belt is fastened. You can’t care for your child if you don’t survive that crash.

  1. Observe traffic laws

Distracted driving is the biggie here. Avoid texting while driving or taking your eyes away from the road for any reason at all. Also, observe speed limits. They’re there for a reason.

Take these simple steps to enhance your child’s car safety.