Your family may going out for shopping, or for a picnic, or for an appointment. Traveling with a baby or with little kids on board a car be a safe and pleasant experience if you consider the following tips:
-
Wear a seat belt and ask all passengers to do the same.
-
Do not use any substitute infant seat or ordinary travel bed for a car seat.
-
Do not allow two children or a parent and a child to use only one seat belt.
-
Never let the baby ride in your arms while the car is moving.
-
Avoid the temptation not to place the baby in a car seat “because we’re traveling only a few blocks.”
-
Do not leave the rear door of the car open. This lets in exhaust fumes. Also, dangerous objects may come through the open door in a crash.
-
Do not allow children to play with sharp objects or metals while the car is moving. These objects may accidentally hit them if the car suddenly stops.
-
Put loose objects inside the car trunk.
-
A pregnant mother should especially use a seat belt. Until her child is born, she is the baby’s “car seat.” The lap belt must be kept below her uterus, across the pelvic bone, to avoid injury to the baby from the seat belt.
-
Bring along musical tapes and play them right after buckling the baby in.
-
Bring along nonchokable snacks like rice cakes or bread. Do not allow kids to suck on lollipops or popsicles or anything with a stick. A swerve or an accident could ram the stick into the kids’ throats.
-
When driving long distances, make frequent pit stops.
