Tips + Tricks: 6 Ways To Ensure Child Safety In The Car

To ensure child safety in the car is one of the challenges parents have to deal with on a daily basis. Even with stricter traffic rules and regulations, car crashes remain to be one of the top causes of childhood death around the globe. A parent can never really be too careful as accidents are lurking at every stop or bend on the road.

Here are a few ways parents can ensure child safety in the car:

Proper Use of Car Seats

Regardless of prevailing children restraint laws in your country or city, using a car seat for your child is non-negotiable. It can be a lifesaver in case of emergencies and tragic road accidents. But investing on a sturdy and good-branded car seat is not enough. You also need to use the car seat properly. It is a must to keep children two to four years of age on rear-facing car seats for as long as possible. You can begin placing them in forward-facing car seats once they reach the maximum height or weight limit of their car seat or when they turn 5 years old. Needless to say, investing on a sturdy and multi-purpose car seat will not only save your child’s life but will also save you a considerable amount of money. Opting for a combination child seat/booster seats will allow you to use the item for a longer period of time.

Buckle Up

Children who are inside the car must buckle up at all times. Whether they are still in car seats, or booster seats, or old enough to use seat belts alone, they must be strapped in before the car leaves. According to CDC, serious and fatal injuries can be prevented by up to 80% if parents practice buckling children up appropriately at any given time. Unfortunately, a lot of road-related deaths and injuries appear because adults fail to buckle the children up.

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Simple Ways To Make Your Children Behave In The Car

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Is there anything worse than being miles from your destination with your kids in the back squealing, falling out with each other and endlessly whining “are we there yet?”.

It’s the battle all parents have to face, but with the right preparation you can limit the damage and enjoy stress-free and pleasant journeys.

Buy a baby-friendly car

Start off right with a car suitable for your family’s needs. Safety is always high on the priority list for parents, so check out the air bags and braking system.

Kids always come with plenty of baggage: whether it’s buggies, changing bags or toys. Make life easier for yourself and find a car with plenty of space to fit in the buggy and spare clothes. Storage in the passenger area of the car can also be used to your benefit by placing toys and activities within your child’s reach.

Little extras like tinted rear windows (or adding in sun blinds) will make the journey more comfortable for your kids.

If your current car doesn’t fit the bill or you need a car abroad, check out sites with child friendly car options, such as Intelligent Car Leasing who provide UK car leasing and contract hire to personal customers.

Organize car activities before you start the car

Preparation is key. Arm yourself ahead of time with as many distractions and activities as you can. Ask your kids to pick out some of their favorite music to play on the journey. Kids can fill out activity printables on the lap trays, or on a clipboard.

Simple coloring pads and wax crayons will help keep younger children entertained, whilst older kids may want to take a DVD player and headphones, or a small games console.

Classic travel games such as “I Spy” or looking for a particular color car are also great to use up a bit of extra time.

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