Keeping Kids Safe in and Around Cars
To help create a safe environment for your infant and/or young child, pay attention to your vehicle and its surroundings. Here's how to keep children safe in and around cars:
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Car seat safety
Assess whether a car seat or booster seat fits in your (not all) car ). The car seat must also be installed correctly. You can often get help from a local fire station, police station, or car seat inspection center near you where certified technicians are readily available.
There are child car seat options based on their age and weight. How long do young children stay in a rear-facing car seat? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends up to age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat.
“This is a challenge because many parents want their children to experience it sooner,” says Kelly O'Riordan, a health educator/certified pediatric passenger safety coach at Nationwide Hospital for Children in Columbus, Ohio, She is a trainer at the National Center for the Safe Transportation of Children with Special Needs Healthcare. They want to interact with them. But this increases the risk of shock in the event of an accident. In a rear-facing seat, the car seat structure itself and the harness absorb impact force and protect the head, neck and spine. When they are ready to face forward, keep them in the five-point harness for as long as possible, until they reach the higher weight and height limits for this seat.
ALSO: Never place a child in a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger airbag. During a collision, the bag could potentially hit the seat back hard enough to cause serious, or even fatal, injury.
Fasten the children's clip in the rear seat
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All children under the age of 13 must ride in the rear seat. Enhanced harness placement until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall. Industry research shows protection is reduced by 40 percent when a child is seated in the front. “Many parents want to 'reward' a child by allowing him or her to sit in the front seat before he or she is seated,” says O'Riordan. They reach these milestones, creating risks.”
KEEP A PRIORITY YOUR VEHICLE ASSIST KIT
Always keep a first aid kit in the car, along with Combine with non-latex hand gloves, bandages, antiseptic wipes and instant cold compress.Be sure to charge cell phone and preprogrammed emergency numbers, including to your child's doctor's office.
Store items in a box Vehicle
For this group, as well as sports equipment, groceries, laptops, and other items, store in an area such as the trunk or the back of a minivan/SUV. “You want to eliminate the possibility of these items becoming a dangerous projectile during impact,” O'Riordan says. “Put sports equipment such as cleats, balls and rackets in a large bag that is attached to the car. Even a soccer ball has the ability to pick up a lot of force during a crash.”
Don’t text and drive
More than a quarter of all traffic accidents are linked to drivers using cell phones and texting, according to the National Safety Council. Driving safety should always be your top priority. Sending or reading just one text takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds – at 55mph, that's enough to drive the length of a blindfolded football field. The benefits here are twofold: You will increase your alertness while driving. It will be a great example for your kids to remember when they become young drivers.
“Many of us are in a hurry, and consider our car as an office and traffic lights a 'stop time,'” says O'Riordan, whose hospital has posted a pledge form to 'not text while driving'. But the data is clear. Even doing so “only at a red light” is considered too risky. You do not pay attention to your accessories. It's best to leave the devices away, because nothing is more important than the safety of your family. “
Driveway and Parking Safety
At least 50 children are supported vehicles each week, explains Janet E Fennell, Founder/President of KidsAndCars. .org, and that more than 60 percent of these accidents involve larger vehicles, such as trucks and SUVs. Rolling over is also dangerous.
“Young children are impulsive and unpredictable,” says Fennell. “They still have very poor judgment and little understanding of risk. In addition, they do not recognize boundaries such as property lines, sidewalks, driveways, or parking spaces.
Keep in mind that the blind area behind your vehicle can be over 50 feet – and there is a second blind area 6 to 8 feet from the front of the vehicle. Walk all the way around the vehicle before moving it. If children They are playing close to your vehicle, make sure they move to a place where you can see them clearly before you back away or move forward.
Teach your children that a 'parked' car can move in. At any time, the driver may not be able to out of their sight.When your vehicle is parked, use the safety brake to prevent your vehicle from tipping over.Do not allow children to play in the vehicle's usual path – such as just outside the garage door.For added protection, consider adding cross-view mirrors, a rear-view video camera, or collision detectors
KEEP VEHICLES CLOSED
Children will climb into the car and “pretend” to take it for a ride. , especially if the switches are in the ignition position or the vehicle lacks safety features that prevent gear shifting.
“This is why you need to keep j says phenyl. Keys and remote opening devices should not be within reach of your children.
Prevent Heatstroke
Never leave your kids in the car, even for the time it takes to get to a store. According to ConsumerReports.org, an average of 38 children die from heatstroke each year after being left inside a hot car. When the temperature is 70 degrees outside, the car interior can quickly reach 120 degrees. A child's temperature rises three to five times faster than a child's. It's a change of routine, Fennell says. “Toddlersespecially babiesoften sleep in cars, becoming quiet, unobtrusive passengers,” she explains. “Unfortunately for kids in the back seats, you often can't tell if the seat is occupied when you get out of the car.”
To avoid this, Vinyl recommends placing something you need (mobile phone, handbag, wallet, etc.) on the floorboard in the back seat. Make it a habit to open the tailgate of your vehicle when you reach your destination, no matter what. You can put a stuffed animal in your child's car seat, and take it to the front seat with you when you put your child in the car seat to remind you that someone is there.
How are you covering? It is important to review your car insurance policy periodically. Find out what coverage options are available from Nationwide and then discuss which one is best for you with your agent.
Text message data sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news /more-quarter-crashes-due-texting-talking-while-driving-study-n360981