Traveling With Children During The Holidays?
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
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