We can thank the influence of the National Highway Safety Administration for increased regulation of things like: safe speeds, safety belt usage, child passenger seats and restraints, drunk driving law enforcement, hydraulic and anti-lock brake systems, data base registration and license suspension of problem drivers, air bags, minimum standards for child safety seats, raising the drinking age to 21, public awareness campaigns to keep children in the back seat, booster seat laws for kids over four and between 40-80 pounds, campaigns about distracted driving and cell phone and texting laws, Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, and mandatory Electronic Stability Control (ESC) equipment in cars.
All of these safety regulations have made our roads safer, but when it comes to keeping your family safe in the car, it's what YOU do that matters most.
Car Safety Tips:
- Keep your kids in the back seat! Children under 12 years old should NEVER be in the front seat of a vehicle. Not only are they in danger of being injured or killed by your car's airbag, they are more likely to be injured in a car accident sitting in front.
- Choose a car seat that meets your child's age and weight recommendations.
- Place infants in a rear-facing car seat that meets all current government standards for safety.
- Always use a seat belt while driving or riding in a car.
- Never talk on a cell phone or text while driving. It only takes a split second of distraction to get into an accident.
- Only carry as many passengers as your car is designed to carry. If there aren't enough seat belts, you've got too many riders.
- Never drink and drive.
- Never drive while under the influence of any medication that may impact your ability to drive safely.
- Always obey the speed limit and traffic laws - even when you're in a hurry!
- Hand the keys over to another responsible adult if you are too tired to drive safely.
- Never allow child passengers to roughhouse, yell, or otherwise distract you from safe driving. Looking into the rearview mirror too often to monitor noisy children can be just as much of a distraction as talking on a cell phone.
Passive Car Dangers
Sadly, sometimes it's what parents DON'T do that puts their kids in jeopardy. According to research from the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, 44 children died last year from heat stroke after being left in the car. There were 606 similar incidents over a 14 year period. In 106 of these cases, the adult intentionally left their child in the car, not realizing the danger. An astounding 316 of the cases occurred when an adult forgot their child was in the car!
Facts About Car Heat Stroke
- Cracking a car's windows will do little to keep your child from overheating in a car seat.
- The temperature inside a parked vehicle can rise dramatically, regardless of how cool it may be outside. The average temperature rise after 10 minutes is 19 degrees; after 20 minutes, the car temperature will rise 29 degrees; after 30 minutes, the air inside the car will rise 34 degrees; after 1 hour, the temperature inside the car will be 43 degrees higher; the temperature can rise between 45-50 degrees between 1-2 hours.
- The darker the color of your child's car seat or the inside of your car, the hotter it will get.
- Over the past 14 years, 175 children died from heat stroke while playing in an unattended car. Always lock your car doors when your car is not in use to prevent tragedy.
If you are worried about the possibility of forgetting that your sleeping infant or toddler is in the car seat, consider placing an alarm device, such as the ChildMinder SoftClip System on their infant or booster seat. The two-part device attaches to the car seat and your key ring and will beep for 8 seconds if you are more than 15 feet from your car.
