We’ve talked before about how to properly install a car seat in a vehicle and how important it is to do this on every single ride, but there’s a lot more to car safety than just making sure a child is in a properly fitted seat. A new advice column in the Washington Post offers some insightful tips that people may not think about, and it’s important that you always remember the guidance on hand.
There may come a time when your child rides with someone else, be that a babysitter or a grandparent. While you may be confident in your ability to install the car seat and place the child in it, they may not be so positive or they might underestimate the importance of the tactic. Anyone who transports your children must understand proper car seat usage and adhere to your rules on every trip.
You also want to take some small precautions that will have your children respecting the importance of vehicle safety. On car trips, don’t try to distract them by pointing out the “fun” features of a car. When a child sees you roll the window up and down, he or she will want to imitate that. Kids need to understand the car is not a playground, and the vehicle should be locked at all non-driving times so that kids don’t get themselves stuck.
Finally, be a seatbelt role model by having everyone wear their seatbelts (and we’d like to add that, as a driver, you should make sure you’re not using a phone).