Children and car safety: Everything you should know
Cars and kids sometimes don't mix well, so here is what every parent and guardian needs to consider before buckling up and hitting the road.“In Australia, transport injuries are the most common cause of child injury death and second most common cause of injury-related hospital admission for children aged 0 to 14 years,” says child accident prevention foundation, Kidsafe.
While this statistic is alarming, most parents do understand that keeping children safe in and around cars is critical. Sometimes though, working out how best to do this can be a little less clear.
A great starting point for any adult responsible for a child in their car is The National Best Practice Guidelines Safety of Children in Motor Vehicles. They outline ten key points in helping keep children safe in cars and are a useful checklist and reminder:
- Buckle up on every trip!
- Keep kids rear-facing in their child car restraint for as long as they fit
- Use an inbuilt harness for as long as they fit
- Use a booster seat for as long as they fit
- Seat belt check – Do the 5-step test
- Make sure all child restraints in your vehicle are correctly fitted and adjusted for the child travelling in that seat
- Safest in the back – for children under 12 years, it's always safest to travel in the rear rows, not in the front
- Is your car right for the job? – Ask yourself, can you transport your little ones safely in that vehicle, so they are all in correctly fitted and adjusted restraints? If the answer is no, then don’t drive that vehicle
- Accessorise correctly – never use accessories that are not provided by the manufacturer of that restraint
- Check your restraints regularly to make sure they are still installed and adjusted correctly
Another useful action you can take is to look into what specific safety features the car you drive has. For starters, Derek McCormack, Director of The Raising Children Network says check your car’s manual for instructions on activating childproof door locks or window locks.
“The door locks can help keep children safe while in cars as they stop children from opening the door when the car is moving or standing still. The window locks ensure children keep arms, legs and head inside the car when it’s moving or parked on the side of the road.”
Secure loose items
Another key question to ask is what objects are in your car and how they are being stored? Be careful to secure loose items in your car so they don’t fly about while you are driving.
“In a crash, loose items can increase the risk of injury. Use a cargo barrier if your boot is not separated from the car cabin or put loose items in a box,” McCormack explains.
Invest in a vehicle first aid kit
One item that should be in every parent’s car is a first aid kit.
So, for your next road trip make sure you have a car specific first aid kit that includes speciality items like high vis vests. Another really beneficial feature of these first aid kits is that they can also be positioned securely in your boot with Velcro straps, so they aren’t loose inside your car.
Don’t leave kids unattended in the car
Keeping kids safe around cars doesn’t just mean while you are in transit.
“Leaving kids unattended in a car – even for a short period of time – can be fatal. Every year in Australia, over 5,000 children are rescued after being left unattended in a car,” says Kidsafe.
Children are particularly at risk because they can lose fluid quickly, become dehydrated and suffer from heatstroke.
Finally, remember, a car is not a playground
The vehicle can be a dangerous place for a child even when it’s not in motion.
“Although less common, children have also suffered serious injury and loss of life from strangulation by seat belts from using the car as a play space and being locked within the cargo area (behind the cargo barrier) and being unable to exit the vehicle,” explain Kidsafe.
Some tips for parents to help them differentiate the car space from a play space for their children include:
- Make sure that children know that the car is not a play space (have a conversation, implement rules etc)
- Keep the vehicle locked at all times
- Keep the vehicle in an area, inaccessible to children unless under adult supervision
Related: Six things parents need to know about child car seats
Related: Five bad driving habits that need to stop for the sake of your passengers
Related: New research shows 3 in 4 Aussie drivers multi-task behind the wheel despite dangers
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