10 Safety Driving Tips For Parents With Kids
As parents, your kids should always be your first priority. You should always make sure that they stay safe, especially while driving them in your car or rented vehicle from limofind.com. To help keep your kids safe during road trips, there are some safety tips that you will have to observe and adhere to:
1. Buckling Up
Every time you and your kids are in the car, make sure that all the car occupants have worn their seat belts. This will help a great deal in the unfortunate event of a crash. But buckling up alone is not enough to guarantee your family’s safety whenever you hit the road.
Always make sure that the car seats, especially those occupied by your kids have been properly installed. You can take your car to a mechanic so it can be checked to ensure that all the seatbelts are in place.
2. Seat Your Kids At The Right Place
Kids that are 12 years old and below, or whose heights and weights are considered average for 12 years, should ride in the back seats that have been equipped with boosters that will not only make them comfortable but also ensure their safety during times of travel. Older kids may occupy other seats as long as they are safe and must buckle up.
3. Drive A Roadworthy Car With Excellent Safety Features
Keep in mind that your safety and that of your kids while on the road will also be determined by the condition and type of the car that you are driving. As a result, you should ensure that the car you are driving has a high safety rating.
One of the best cars for family use is the Chevy Cruz. The Chevy Cruz has a five-star safety rating making it be preferred by most parents. This car will guarantee the survival of all the occupants in the event of an accident and this will put your kids very safe.
4. Secure Your Luggage
Sometimes, traveling with your kids will mean carrying some luggage along with you. Whenever you have to carry some luggage in the car, make sure that they are secured and anchored on the car using the luggage anchor. This will prevent them from hitting your kids who are riding in the back when you brake sharply.
And if they are many, arrange the luggage in such a way that the heavy ones are on the floor of the trunk or at the bottom of the shelf behind the back seats. The less heavy ones may be placed at the top of the heavy ones and all luggage secured and anchored using the luggage anchor. Do not let any lose luggage lie around near your kids.
5. Play Some Defence
Even as you take precautions to make both you and your kid(s) safe, it is important that you try to keep other road users safe. Safety is a two-way traffic since it will require you and other drivers to drive carefully for the safety of everyone. Turn on your fog lights to make yourself visible to other drivers.
This way, they will not run their cars into yours and cause injuries to you and your kids. Also, keep a safe distance from other vehicles so that you have sufficient time to break or bring the car to a halt when the vehicles ahead of you have come to a stop.
At nights, don’t cause discomfort to other drivers by not reducing your headlights’ beam. Every time there are oncoming vehicles, reduce your headlight beam. You will also expect other drivers coming from the opposite direction to do the same when they are approaching your car.6. Avoid Destructions
Mobile phones are the biggest distracters when it comes to driving, whether or not you have your kids with you in the car. Try as much as possible to put your phone away while driving so that you can focus your undivided attention on the road. A distracter is anything that will make you lose focus on the road. Do not try to multitask especially when it can lead to danger.
7. Always Stay With Your Kids
If you have to go somewhere shortly during road trips, it would be a prudent idea to go with your kids or leave them at a safer place other than inside of the car.
8. Don’t Drive While Tired
This is a safe driving tip that is easier said than done. Most parents who are sleep deprived can attest to this fact. You as a parent should not put the lives of your kid(s) at risk by driving while you are fatigued. Statistics show that parents are more likely to continue driving even when they’re fatigued than persons with no kids.
Fatigue is a factor that contributes to up to 20% of fatal motor vehicle collisions. So, watch out for your kids’ safety and drive when you are sober enough to do so. Do not get yourself behind the wheel if you are sleep deprived.
This is because you may doze off and swerve off the highway and ditch the car in a lake, hit another on-coming vehicle or hit a stationary object. Get enough rest before proceeding with your journey. Stay safe.9. Keep Your Tires In Top Shape
Safety driving tips are not confined to good driving behaviors and skills alone. Sometimes, safety begins when your car is in a good technical condition. One of the ways of making sure that your vehicle is safe for both you and your kids is by making sure that the tires are in good condition and their pressure is at the recommended level.
Buy a pressure gauge and carry it with you wherever you go so that you can know when and where to raise or lower your tire pressure.
During winter, make sure that you replace your normal summer tires with winter ones that have a better grip of the icy road.
10. Follow The Rules Of The Road
Highways have traffic lights and signs to govern every driver. Those signs have been put along the highways for a reason and they should always be adhered to. Following these traffic rules is, therefore, one of the tips for safe driving that parents must observe.
Some parents normally violate traffic rules because of being in a rush to drop their kids off on their way to work. Try to leave home for work early so that you have enough time to drop your kids off and get to work on time without violating any of the traffic rules.
By following all the rules, you not only make sure you are safe but also make sure that other road users are also safe.Conclusion
There you have it on how to drive safe with your kids. All these tips will come in handy in ensuring your kid’s safety while on a road trip. This will make sure that nothing happens to them even in the event of a crash. Ensure that you follow these tips before hitting the road. Have a safe ride!
