If you’re like most parents, you’re likely shuttling your kids around all day long. From school to practice and then friend’s birthday parties, many parents feel like they spend the majority of their days either in transit or waiting in the car to pick up their kids.
Because you and your family spend so much time in the car, it’s important that that area is as safe as possible for them. So to help ensure that your kids are always well taken care of in the car, be it when you’re safely rolling down your street or if you happen to get in a car accident together, here are three tips for increased car safety when traveling with your kids.
Make Sure Your Children Use The Right Restraints
While car seats and boosters likely aren’t a favorite for you or your kids, having your little ones sit in the right seats and using the proper restraints can save their lives.
According to SafeKids.org, you should really only graduate your child into a large or different version of their car seat when they are physically big enough. Their age really shouldn’t be a factor. So even if your child seems to be too old to still use a car seat or a booster seat, if they are still within the weight and height range, wait to progress them into a new seat until they physically need one.
Keep The Temperature Of Your Car Safe
As the weather changes, this can have a big impact on the comfort of your car. In the spring and fall, moderate temperatures mean your car can often be a pleasant temperature. But in the summer and winter, extreme temperatures are something that you need to be cognizant of for the sake of your children.
According to Emily Green, a contributor to Working Mother, your car can heat up by 19 degrees in just ten minutes in the summertime. Even if it feels nice when you’re outside, the inside of your car can be far too hot for your children to be in. So before you have everyone pile in, make sure you take measures to adjust the temperature to something more tolerable.
Never Leave Your Kids Alone In The Car
Not only should you never leave your kids alone in the car in the summer heat, but you should also be very wary of ever leaving your kids alone in the car at any time. Doing so can be dangerous for any number of reasons.
Michelle Naranjo, a contributor to Consumer Reports, shares that kids who are left in the car could get heat stroke, become dehydrated, or accidentally shift the car into drive or neutral and cause themselves to get in a car accident.
To help keep your kids safe in the car, consider using the tips mentioned above whenever you and your little ones get in your vehicle.
