Motor vehicle crashes are a significant cause of death for children. According to statistics, 607 child passengers aged 12 and below died in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2020, and over 63,000 suffered injuries. Good car safety practices can help curb the effects of car crashes and other incidences or activities that threaten child safety. This article outlines five car safety tips for kids.
Invest in quality car seats
Since crashes are a leading cause of injuries and death in children, investing in quality car seats can help protect them. However, guaranteeing your kid’s safety depends on picking the right car seat and ensuring correct usage. To choose the right car seat for your child, check the label to ascertain that it fulfills or surpasses Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 231. Before your kid uses the seat for the first time, learn how to install it and adjust the harness.
Consider visiting federal government-owned car seat inspection stations for help or to get the seat double-checked for proper installation. If you must use a secondhand car seat, ensure it wasn’t in a crash. Don’t use it if it has missing parts or doesn’t have a model number and manufacture date. The safest toddler seats should be age and height appropriate, tested and certified, and easy and secure to install.
Activate child lock
Children can be quite curious. They explore everything in their surroundings, including cars. Child lock is an essential safety feature when traveling or driving with kids. It adds an extra level of security. When you activate the child lock, it’s impossible to open the car door from the inside, regardless of whether the vehicle is moving or stationary. If you don’t know how to engage the child lock feature, consult your manual.
Don’t let children eat in the car
Letting your kids eat as you drive can be fatal. Besides creating a mess in the vehicle, it increases the risk of choking. Eating as the car is moving may cause your child to experience car sickness. When you allow your kids to eat in the car, you might get distracted trying to supervise them as they eat, increasing the risk of getting into a road accident. If your young ones must feed, look for a safe place to park your car and allow them to finish eating safely. Knowing there’s reduced risk will give you comfort and peace of mind.
Keep your kids buckled up
When you leave your kids unbuckled, you expose them to the risk of getting killed or sustaining severe injuries in case of a crash. Ensure your young ones have buckled up their booster seats, car seats, or seat belts, depending on the option suitable for their weight, height, and age. Learn how to safely buckle up your child to reduce the risk of death or severe injuries in crashes.
Never leave your kids alone in the car
Leaving your child alone in the car compromises their safety. Heat stroke or hyperthermia is their most significant danger. The young one could also get trapped in the trunk or taken from the vehicle, or they could set the car in motion.
Ensuring your child’s car safety should be a priority. Familiarize yourself with these car safety tips for kids that you can implement to keep them protected.
Photo Credit: DepositPhotos.com
