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The Holiday season is a time of year when many people are on the road to visit friends and family.  More people travel by auto than any other mode of transportation.  If you’ll be traveling with children this Holiday season, here are a few safety tips to help your car rides go smoothly and hassle free.

• Always use a car safety seat for infants and young children. A rear-facing car safety seat should be used until your child has reached the highest weight and/or height allowed by his car safety seat, but at a minimum until your child is at least one year of age AND weighs at least 20 pounds. It is best to ride rear-facing as long as possible. Once your child has outgrown the rear-facing height or weight limit, he can ride in a forward-facing car safety seat.
• A child who has outgrown her car safety seat with a harness (she has reached the top weight or height allowed for her seat, her shoulders are above the top harness slots, or her ears have reached the top of the seat) should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belt fits properly (usually when the child reaches about 4′ 9″ in height and is between 8 to 12 years of age).
• All children under 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat of vehicles.
• Never place a child in a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an airbag.
• Set a good example by always wearing a seat belt.
• Children can easily become restless or irritable when on a long road trip. Try to keep them occupied by pointing out interesting sights along the way and by bringing soft, lightweight toys and favorite CDs for a sing-along.
• Plan to stop driving and give yourself and your child a break about every two hours.
• Never leave your child alone in a car, even for a minute. Temperatures inside the car can reach deadly levels in minutes, and the child can die of heat stroke.
• In addition to an emergency medical kit, parents should carry safe water and snacks, child-safe hand wipes, diaper rash ointment, and a water- and insect-proof ground sheet for safe play outside.

We wish you stress-free and safe travels.  Happy Holidays!

Sources: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

AAA Motor Club

Link to info on Car Safety Seats:

http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm

Because I will be flying during this year’s holiday season, I can’t help but wonder what kind of experience awaits me. The crowds are a given, but delays and cancellations are always anyone’s guess. The one thing I can control, however, is my own preparedness. Here are some tips to help you save time during the check in and security processes.

Don’t check bags. If you carry on your bags, you will avoid check-in lines, luggage fees, and be flexible if your flight changes at the last minute. You will also avoid baggage-claim hassles when you arrive at your destination. (One bag is allowed in the overhead compartment, as well as one under the seat in front of you.) Contact your airline carrier for carry-on baggage dimensions. (I travel with one suitcase and a full backpack.)

If you can’t travel light enough to carry on, ship luggage or gifts ahead. Try using UPS or Luggage Free , via their ground service to save money.

Avoid the check-in line. Twenty-four to 36 hours before leaving your home, check in at your airline’s website and print your boarding pass. If you don’t check bags, you can bypass the check-in counter entirely and proceed directly to the security area.

Arrive early. Whether you check luggage or not, it’s important to arrive at the airport in plenty of time to go through the check-in and security processes. Security wait times can sometimes be painfully slow. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Website provides estimated waiting times at major airports. A good rule of thumb is plan to be at your departing gate an hour early for domestic flights and 2 to 3 hours for international flights.

Passing smoothly through security. Your preparedness can really pay off in the security line. With your boarding pass and government-issued ID handy, slip your belt, keys, phone, coins, and jewelry into your carry-on before you reach the security area.

Your liquids must be visible and travel down the conveyor belt ahead of your other items. As many 3-ounces or less containers that can fit into a one-quart zip lock bag are allowed. Some liquids such as prescription medications and baby formula are allowed, but you should point them out to the screeners before you go through security.

Quickly place your shoes, jacket or sweater, and laptop, into a tub and onto the conveyor belt. Your carry-on bags can follow your tub. Check the TSA Website ahead of time for updated restrictions on toiletries (liquids), gadgets and other items.

Don’t wrap those holiday packages until after you arrive at your destination. Otherwise, they are subject to inspection and may be unwrapped.

Quickly gather all your items from the conveyor belt (double check that you have everything) and carry them to a nearby area.  There you can replace shoes and retrieve personal items from your bag, such as jewelry, watch, belt, etc.  Put your ID away and proceed to your gate with your boarding pass.

Source: Fodors 1,001 Smart Travel Tips, 2nd Edition, 2008.

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