Being a parent is exciting. However, parenting comes with huge responsibilities. You always have to be there to ensure your child is safe and has whatever they need. Among the responsibilities accompanying parenting is keeping your child safe when driving. As a new parent, you might not know where to start to keep your baby safe while on the road.
Fortunately, this article will discuss some tips for ensuring your baby is safe when hitting the road. Read along to learn more:
- Start From The Beginning
There are some apparent risks linked to driving during pregnancy. It is essential to learn what they are and how to avoid them to keep your unborn child safe. For instance, you can use a maternity seat belt adjuster to redirect your car’s seat belt from the belly to keep yourself and the baby safe.
- Buckle Up
Nothing saves life more than seat belts. Using them correctly ensures that everyone in the car is safe. Since an individual should use a single seat belt, carrying a baby on your lap is not advisable. Everyone in the vehicle needs to be buckled up for safety. You should also ensure your child’s seat belt is secured before the car starts moving and should remain the same until the vehicle is safely parked and the engine is switched off.
- Adhere To The Law
It is essential to adhere to your state’s law for safety and avoid being on the wrong side of the law. If you are from New York State, you should adhere to the NY car seat laws that require all seats and restraints systems to be certified. Failure to which you might be prosecuted for breaching car seat law.
- Install Suitable Child Restraints And Car Seats
Good car seats and restraints are vital for keeping babies safe while on the road. Before installing these items, ensure they are the correct size for your child’s age, height, and weight. Additionally, the units should be properly secured to your vehicle’s seat since different seats come with different models. Aside from safe installation, it is advisable to avoid purchasing a second-hand or used baby’s car seat since you might not know if it’s damaged.
- Always Keep Doors And Windows On Child Lock
Since toddlers and children like pressing, touching, and pulling items, it is essential to keep doors and windows on child lock before hitting the road. Child lock secures the doors and windows, preventing injuries in children.
- Sit On The Back
Babies and children under 13 years should always ride in the back. Sitting in the back keeps the children protected when a passenger-side airbag deploys. It is vital to understand that airbags can seriously hurt a child since they are designed to protect an individual with a firmer body.
- Everyone Should Stay Put
It is vital to keep your child put during the drive. Though it might be tempting to pick your baby from their seat when they cry, always remember that their safety depends on being correctly restrained in the car’s case. If it is a must to feed or change your baby’s diapers, find a safe spot and pull over.
- Check Before You Lock
About 38 children die in hot cars every year in the U.S. Most parents think that this cannot happen to them, but you never know. Most of these deaths occur after children are left sleeping in the car. To avoid such an incident, check before you lock it. If you have to leave your child in the car for even a few minutes, ensure the windows are not entirely closed, or someone is watching them. However, the best way to avoid your child dying from high temperatures is to avoid leaving them in the car entirely.
- Avoid Snacking In The Car
As unlikely as it might sound, avoiding snacking while driving can save lives. Imagine what would happen if your baby chokes, or you think they are. Your parental protective instincts are bound to take over, causing you to make bad choices about how, where, and when to pull over to save your child’s life. These choices increase your chances of causing an accident, putting your lives at risk.
Conclusion
Generally, your child’s safety does not only depend on choosing the best safety seat and using it ideally. Ensuring the mechanical condition of your vehicle also plays a massive role in keeping both you and your child safe when driving. Therefore, you should have your car checked regularly by a professional mechanic to prevent accidents and other mechanical hitches that can put your life at risk.
