Five Ways to Keep Kids Safe in the Car

Model Good Behavior 

It’s probably not what you want to think about, but your child will be driving someday. While teenagers are, for the most part, notoriously bad drivers, your child can be even worse if you model bad behavior while driving. If you’re a habitual distracted driver, your child is learning that driving distracted is okay, a lesson that might come back to haunt them later on. The same is true with other bad behaviors such as road rage and aggressive driving. If your child learns that aggressive driving is, quite simply, how you get from point A to point B, they may end up causing a serious accident when they begin driving. Not only should you drive in a manner that will protect the children in your car, but you should also be driving in a way that you want your children to drive when they become teenagers.  

Follow Basic Car Seat Safety 

Did you know that car seats expire? While you won’t get food poisoning from using an expired car seat, an expired car seat could cause your child to sustain serious injuries. A lot of parents like to buy used because everything is so expensive these days. In fact, a $200 car seat is considered standard in 2024. However, used car seats can be expired, meaning that they no longer meet the safety requirements. Car seats generally have stickers or stamps located on the bottom or the back of the car seat indicating when the car seat was manufactured. If you cannot find any mention of a manufacturer’s date on the car seat, you may need to look at the manual as that may have information on when the car seat was manufactured. Do not buy an expired car seat. If you were in a car accident, even if the child was not in the car seat at the time of the accident, you may need to replace the car seat. It is currently recommended that car seats are replaced after severe or moderate accidents, regardless of whether the car seat was damaged. 

No Eating in the Car 

Parents eating in the car can be a form of distracted driving—and the same can be true for children as well. If your children need attention while you’re driving, you may be in a lot of pressure to pull over, especially if they’re choking. Generally speaking, children should not be allowed to eat without supervision until they’re over the age of 4. Children eating in the car can pose a choking hazard. The problem is not only that the child could struggle to lean forward in their car seat in order to cough up what they’re choking on, but you may not be able to pull them over in time to save them from the choking hazard. If you absolutely must feed your child in the car, stick to foods like yogurt pouches or fruit pouches. Avoid solid foods, especially hard candies. Ideally, if your child needs a snack, you’ll pull over at a safe place to feed them. 

Frequent Breaks for Baby 

Babies should not spend more than two hours at a time in a car seat. This means that if you’re going on a road trip with the little one, they’ll need to be taken out of their car seat for frequent breaks. Asphyxiation is the main risk here. Babies can often struggle to keep their heads up, especially when they’re still young. A young baby may fall forward in his or her car seat. If their head is slumped downward, it may be cutting off their airway. Another concern is the development of the baby’s spine. Car seats were not designed for babies to sleep in or spend extended periods of time in. If your baby is in a car seat for a road trip, you may need to take a break every couple of hours to ensure your baby’s safety. 

Don’t Leave Children Unattended 

You should never leave your children unattended in the car, no matter what the weather is. However, it should be understood that hotter weather is more dangerous, especially for babies as it tends to lull them to sleep, and they may end up dying while asleep due to heat exposure. Parents should also be careful to never lock the car door while the child is still inside the car. Too many parents have accidentally locked the car with the children and keys inside. On a particularly hot day, this can be an emergency. Babies are not as hearty as adults; within just 10 to 15 minutes, a baby’s temperature can get high enough to cause a fatal heat stroke. Do not leave your child alone in the car for any amount of time. Put your purse and/or beside the car seat if it helps you remember the baby. 

Dedicated to Keeping our Communities Safe

At Moxie Law Group, we’re dedicated to providing our community with the knowledge they need to take proper safety precautions and prevent injury. However, we understand that injury can still happen even if someone has does everything to stay safe. If you’ve sustained injury and you need someone to advocate for your best interests, Moxie Law Group is here for you. Contact us today to get started on your free consultation.