Take these steps to help protect your kids.
As parents, our top priority is keeping our kids safe — including when they are in the car. We often cannot prevent accidents from happening, particularly those caused by other drivers’ negligence, but we can take steps to ensure that our kids are as protected as possible in the event that an accident occurs.
Some steps are obvious, like having your child in an approved car or booster seat. But there are other things that parents can do to help keep their kids safe both in and around vehicles.
As car accident attorneys, we have seen our share of sad cases involving children who were injured in car crashes. These tips may help to reduce the likelihood of an accident occurring and keep both you and your children safe on the road.
Limit Distractions
One of the most challenging aspects of having children in the car is that they often demand our attention — and distract us from what we should be doing, which is paying attention to the road. While it isn’t possible for every child to learn to not bother the driver, if your child is old enough and capable of following directions, you should start to train them to understand that when a parent is driving, they need to pay full attention to the road.
You can set your kids up for success by having things readily available to them, like a bag where they can store their trash and some toys to entertain them. For longer trips, make sure that snacks and drinks are close at hand, and make sure that your kids are able to open both on their own if another adult isn’t available to help open bottles and packages.
If you do need to attend to your child’s needs, pull over to do so. You can change diapers, help kids do something on a tablet, and work out other issues when you are safely off the road. Remind your kids that when you are driving, your job is to focus on the road, so if they need something, it will have to wait (unless it is an emergency, of course!).
By limiting distractions, you are keeping your kids much safer while in the car because you will be less likely to have an accident. It can be as simple as telling your kids “I am driving and cannot help you with that right now” whenever necessary. It will also show your kids the importance of not being distracted while driving — which will come in handy in the future when they are starting to drive themselves!
Safety Features
A new car is not in everyone’s budget. However, if you are in the market for a new vehicle, you can increase your family’s overall safety by purchasing one with some basic and not-so-basic safety features. These could include automatic door locks, child-safe windows and doors, more advanced airbags, and rearview cameras. Because many kids are injured by someone backing up in a driveway or on the street, these cameras can make the difference in preventing these types of accidents. Check out reputable sites like Consumer Reports to learn more about the newest car safety features and how they can help your kids stay safe in the car.
If you or your children have been hurt in a car accident, contact the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com. We will help you get the best possible recovery for your injuries, and we will never charge you a fee unless we get money for you. Initial consultations are always free!
