Precious Passengers: Child Car Safety Strategies Every Parent Needs to Use
Becoming a parent tends to change your outlook on life and you suddenly become very safety conscious as you do what you can to keep your child away from danger.
Each time you take them on a car journey you will want to make sure your precious cargo is well taken care of, which is why you will want to go through a list of child car safety strategies before you go anywhere.
Here is a look at some key safety points to consider, including staying safe when driving during pregnancy, how to choose the right child seat and when to update it as your child grows.
Safety conscious from day one
If you are looking for a family car that comes with integral security features click here. That might be the starting point for looking after your precious cargo when you choose a vehicle that offers a good level of protection, but there are plenty of other considerations besides picking a suitable conveyance for your loved ones.
Your safety regime starts in pregnancy and continues once your child is born.
There are definite risks attached to driving during pregnancy and in order to keep your unborn baby safe, you might want to invest in a Tummy Shield, which is a maternity seat belt adjuster. This works by redirecting the seat belt away from your pregnant belly.
It goes without saying that everyone in the car should wear a seat belt at all times and you need to set a good example for your kids by always buckling up before you set off on your journey.
Choosing the right car seat
Car seat laws can vary between states but almost regardless of your particular state’s child restraint law, your aim should be to treat the legal requirements as the absolute bare minimum and try to find a solution that goes well beyond those levels of safety.
It should, however, be noted that there are four states (California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma) that require children under the age of two to be restrained by a rear-facing child seat. Make sure you know what type of seat you need to buy according to your state laws and then look for a model that offers the best safety features.
There are a four suggested stages of car seats as your child develops and even if you live in a state where rear-facing seats are not required by law, the overwhelming recommendation is that rear-facing is the safest position to prevent and limit severe injury, so choose a rear-facing model for the first two years of your child’s life.
Continue to monitor your child’s height and weight and remember to update the child seat when they reach the next development stage. You can use this calculator to keep up to date with their needs and know when it is time to upgrade to a new model.
The overriding message is to keep safety in mind at all times when travelling with your children.
This means not only keeping them properly and safely restrained, but also setting a good example by avoiding distracted driving and encouraging your children to play their part in road safety when they are old enough to understand the risks.
Benjamin Potts is the first-time Dad to 7-month-old Daisy. A keen article writer he now finds himself writing about parenting matters much of the time.
