Top Car Safety Tips for Babies and Toddlers

When it comes to our children, we are all extra cautious. We do our best as guardians or parents to provide them with the safest and cleanest environment to function in and exist. It is our responsibility to take care of all the details since babies and toddlers are incapable of keeping themselves out of harm’s way. Also, children are naturally curious, so it is of utmost priority that all harmful things and objects are far away from their reach.

One such aspect of upholding precautionary measures is your car. While you travel, you need to ensure that your babies and toddlers are safe and secure to avoid any excessive damage in case of an accident or incident. You also need to be sure of your driving skills when traveling with babies on board. If not, then you should polish your driving skills by getting some expert driving lessons to ensure you drive safe with your babies. Additionally, you need to ensure that the kids do not get into any terrible or harmful conditions themselves. To ensure this, you need to adhere to a few car safety tips and instructions adequately.

In the article ahead, we have listed down a few such car safety tips that will work for you as a checklist before you get in your car for a drive with your children.

• Get an Appropriate Car Seat:

First and foremost, get an appropriate car seat. The importance of a car seat can never be over-emphasized. Car seats save your babies or toddlers from severe damage in case of an accident or car collision. Car accidents are one of the most common causes of injury and death in children. As a result, by law, in the U.S., a baby or a toddler must be secured in a child safety seat while traveling in a car.

It is, however, also necessary to use age and size-appropriate car seat. Your child may be uncomfortable and feel suffocated if tied in a car seat that is way too smaller compared to their size. It is also true that children often fall asleep while traveling and, if not given enough space, might choke during their sleep. Hence, you must put your child in an appropriate child safety seat.

• Follow the Rules:

Probably the most basic of car safety tips is to maintain discipline while driving. It is crucial. Road discipline and following the rules prevent many major accidents and collisions from occurring. Not following the rules will not just cost you a fine but may also bring with it hurtful consequences in terms of accidents and mishaps. The rules are for your safety. You must follow the driving laws to avoid critical events.

To follow the rules, you must thoroughly know the standards and laws of your state or county. Additionally, keeping an appropriate speed limit, maintaining focus on the road, and knowing what is happening around the car are all essential pointers you should keep in mind.

Babies and toddlers are more vulnerable to physical injury and harm. They may take time to recover and may get emotionally tainted as well in case of an accident. Hence, you need to be extra vigilant when you have children on-board your car.

• Do Not Leave Babies and Toddlers in The Car Alone:

Leaving your child alone in the car can become severely damaging. It is significant malpractice and a considerable health hazard. During hot weather, if left alone in the car, your child might even suffocate and faint. When switched off, cars do not have a ventilation system. Also, even if you pull the windows slightly down, it is not enough to provide your child with the needed breathing space. There have been numerous incidents involving parents leaving their kids alone in the car. These parents are often later charged with a massive fine for negligent behavior.

Hence, it is advisable to take your babies and toddlers along wherever you go and avoid leaving them behind in the vehicle alone.

• Make the Car Seat Face the Back:

The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses keeping your child facing the rear as long as it is practically possible. Though the exact guideline is until the baby is two years, however, placing the baby facing the backside is the best position and should be adhered to till any age possible.

The objective is that during a crash, a toddler facing the front would suffer severe jerks on the head, shoulder, and neck, which could prove fatal. In the case of a collision, the body is thrust forward, which can cause significant trauma to the spine. Since babies and toddlers have softer bones and tissues, they may be harmed more in the case of a crash.

However, when the baby or the toddler is seated facing the rear, the force from the collision is divided all over the body, and no part of the body experiences a massive jolt. It prevents your toddler from severe harm in the case of an accident. Therefore, it is better to attach your child safety seat facing the back and not the front.

• Avoid Bulky Winter Coats:

It is natural to want to keep your babies or toddlers warm during low temperatures. It is also necessary to avoid taking your kids out in the cold without appropriate clothing to prevent them from extreme cold weather. However, it is also essential to ensure that the seat belt is tightly secured and functioning correctly.

Often when you clothe your baby with a thick jacket, in the case of an accident, the coat squishes down, and your baby can come out loose. To avoid such events from occurring, it is advisable to make your baby wear no more than a sweatshirt when traveling in the car seat.

• Use the Child Lock Facility:

Child safety locks are built-in systems in the back doors of the car. A child safety lock blocks the car door so that the person or the child sitting inside cannot open it. Children often have a habit of playing with the door locks, which may result in accidents if the door opens while the car is on the road. It can be extremely risky and unsafe. Therefore, locking the doors using the child safety lock is a must when you travel with toddlers. Even if your baby or toddler meddles with the door lock, the door will not open due to the child safety lock. In this case, the door only opens from the outside.

Conclusion:

Child safety should be of utmost priority when traveling. Babies and toddlers need to be put safely in their designated car seats, and the driver should steer the car with enough discipline to avoid any mishaps or accidents from happening. Your child is your responsibility. Drive safe to keep yourself and your family happy and protected.