Driving with your children can be a lot of fun, but when you’re on the road with little ones, it’s important to know the rules. There are many laws in place to protect children on the road—including car seats, booster seats, seat belts, and distracted driving laws. It’s best to know both sides of the story, but if you can’t take your kids on the road with you, you can still safely bring them to other destinations.
Driving with young children in the back seat is no joke. While your children may be cute, adorable, and a joy to be around, they are also distracting—and dangerous. As a parent, you want the best for your children. But that means keeping them safe—and that includes keeping them out of harm’s way with the vehicle.
Here’s How to Drive Safely with Children:
Establish a rule that kids younger to sit at the back.
The age-old saying goes, “children are a blessing and a curse.” The blessing that God has bestowed upon us, but the curse of our children. Most times, when our children reach a certain age, you might be tempted to relax a little and give them some leeway to permit them to do things you wouldn’t have allowed them when they were younger. A good way to drive safely with children is to establish some ground rules. Getting your children to drive safely is essential for raising a family. Parents should set a good example for their children, including teaching them how to drive safely. The key to driving safely with children is establishing and maintaining a firm rule. Children under 12 should always ride in the back seat.
Buckle up always.
Kid’s car seats and booster seats should be properly installed in the vehicle. Teach children always to wear their seat belts. Everyone in the vehicle should wear a belt, including infants in rear-facing car seats.
Be attentive and alert to avoid hazards and accidents.
Avoid daydreaming or mind wandering while on the road. While mind-wandering may seem harmless, it can lead to inattention, a major cause of accidents. Most people understand that driving safely means following the speed limit and observing the speed limit signs.
Not overstress your children by driving too fast, slow, or aggressively.
Driving is a stressful activity for everyone, but children suffer the most. Driving along in the car can be as distressing as a fight and frustrating as being stuck in a traffic jam. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be stressful. It can even become a fun activity!
Giving children the messaging and information they require in a logical sequence.
One of the best things you can do for your children is to teach them how to drive safely. Driving can be an exciting event, but it can also be dangerous and risky. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, so it’s important to teach your child how to stay safe behind the wheel. As a parent, you can feel proud when your child becomes a driver. Still, it’s important to remember that driving is a responsibility—and it requires your child to take appropriate safety precautions.
Establishing safe behaviour.
Even if you’re an experienced driver, brushing up on some safety tips is never a bad idea. Driving with children can be especially tricky since kids are always apt to get distracted, need a snack, or just want to have a conversation with you. (Don’t tell the kids, but one of your best defences against that distraction is to get to the car quickly.)
Plan your route
Before you leave the house, it’s best to know what you’re going to do, where you can get gas, and where you’re going to stay. Consider using your smartphone’s built-in navigation function or using turn-by-turn directions.
Use the car’s built-in features
When driving with children, you can make use of the car’s built-in features to avoid distractions. Kids love to scamper around in the car, especially young children. However, we also know it’s important to keep our children safe out in those cars as parents. There are many ways to help keep kids safe in the cars, and some of these features come standard with newer cars.
How can you make sure they’re driving safely with so much to do? Drive Safely with Children: this is an educational tool to help parents, teachers, and caregivers teach their children how to drive safely. This interactive website contains information that can save lives.
Driving is one of the most dangerous things we do every day—and there are certain habits we develop that increase that risk. While we can’t completely eliminate that risk, we can reduce the risk by driving safely. The world is full of things for our kids to do: school, friends, sports, music, and the list goes on.