Having a motor vehicle has essentially become a requirement for most parents. Between running errands, getting children to school and extracurricular activities, parents may drive with their children in the vehicle multiple times per day in some cases. Unfortunately, a motor vehicle is one of the most dangerous places for a child to be.
Collisions are a leading cause of both serious injury and death among young adults of all ages. Although people frequently take for granted that they can reach their destination safely, traveling in a vehicle does come with a degree of risk. Parents have to consider how they must share the road with others and accept that they don’t have sole control over the situation. What they can control includes what happens in their family vehicle.
How can parents help protect their children from the dangers of motor vehicle transportation?
Consistently using the right restraints
Vehicle seat belts and other built-in safety systems use adult male bodies as the standard for design purposes. Vehicles are not especially safe for children. Children are at risk of restraints failing to keep them in place in the event of a crash.
Therefore, there are an assortment of different car seats ranging from rear-facing infant seats to booster seats for grade school students that can help keep children safer in the vehicles. Consistently using this appropriate seat until the child is tall and heavy enough to rely on standard restraints is of the utmost importance.
Minimize distractions
Unfortunately for parents, the children they have in their vehicles are a major source of distraction. Parents frequently find themselves looking at or interacting with their children instead of focusing on safety in traffic.
Finding ways to keep the children entertained in the vehicle and preventing them from fighting with each other is important for parents. The ability to tune out the distractions caused by children can also be important for safety when driving together.
In a scenario where children are in the vehicle at the time of the crash, parents may need to act as advocates for their children. The cost of medical care for children can be higher after a crash, and they may require psychological support if the collision traumatizes them.
Taking steps to keep children safe and knowing how to support them in the event of a car crash is important for parents. Those who make safety a top priority can travel with their children with reduced risk of a tragic outcome.