Summer usually means swimming, barbeques and roadtrips.
Summer road trips are a favorite family activity and safety has to be your top concern especially if you are a parent.
Make sure all passengers are properly buckled.
Everyone should be properly buckled for every ride whether it is to the grocery store or traveling across the state. While we have done blogs about the importance of child safety seats, one of the number one concerns is having the safety seat or booster seat installed properly. Approximately 70 percent of car seats are not installed properly. There are over 37,000 certified car seat technicians across the U.S. than can assist you.
Prevent kids from overheating in their car seats or boosters.
- Never leave your child alone inside the car. It is a total pain to take your kids out of the car seat to run into the store, but temperatures can quickly become unsafe. As well, we have all read the nightmare stories where a car is stolen with a child in it and often it occurs when the driver just popped into a convenience store. I have written many articles in the past about heatstroke for children inadvertently left in a car and our firm is an active supporter of KidsAndCars.org, a non profit focused on child safety in and around motor vehicles.
- Keep your child well hydrated
- Remember that the metal tongues on car seats can become extremely hot to the touch when they are exposed to sun for an extended period of time. If the harness buckle on your child’s car seat does not come covered, you can try placing a blanket over the car seat when you and the kids leave the parked car
Secure potential projectiles
Anything that is not secured can potentially become a projectile if the car is involved in a crash. These items include strollers, sports equipment and large bags. When you look in your car–just think about what could injure someone if it became a projectile in a crash.
- Place loose items in the trunk
- Buckle up unused booster seats
- Store items such as bags and purses on the floorboard of the vehicle or use cargo nets or shields of SUV’s
- Use sunshades that come as window-clings instead of those with suction cups or metal bars
- Bring soft toys to entertain small children such as stuffed animals and/or soft covered books
Be proactive about teen driving.
- Teen driving is yet another frequent topic for our blog. In the summer, teens are driving new routes rather than just to school and home. They may be driving to jobs, the beach or meet-ups with friends.
- Remind your teens of the importance of seat belts and resisting the urge to text and drive.
- Also, find out how many teens will be traveling together in one car. Teen drivers have been found to increase their risk for crashes with there are multiples of passengers.
- Reinforce importance of safe driving with your teen by riding with them frequently to personally observe their driving habits.
Summer is supposed to be fun.
Nothing spoils summer fun faster than an injury. Plan ahead for the family and practice safety in all aspects of car travel. If you are in a motor vehicle accident, seek immediate medical attention.
At The Cagle Law Firm, we represent individuals injured in car crashes. If you are injured, give our attorneys a call. We are available seven days a week.
Free Consultations 1-800-685-3302 or locally 314-276-1681
Parenting Magazine. Summer 2015.
KidsAndCars.org
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