Car Safety Tips for Travelling with Kids

With new changes in the laws regarding car seats for children I thought now would be a good time to address this, along with some other car safety tips when travelling with children.

The new child car seat laws mean that manufacturers aren’t allowed to introduce new models of backless booster seats for children shorter than 125cm or weighing less than 22kg. This means companies will only be able to manufacture new backless booster products for children over 125cm tall or heavier than 22kg, which ever comes first.

The reason behind this is because backless car seats offer less protection in the event of a collision. It’s important to note that the change doesn’t affect existing models of seats or cushions, and it doesn’t mean that they’re unsafe or illegal.

However, children must normally use a child seat until they’re 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first. Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seatbelt. If you’re ever in a car with children, please, please, please check that you’re aware of the new laws regarding car seats.

One of the main things that a lot of parents over look when placing their children into a car seat is what clothes their children are wearing. This may not apply so much in the summer months when the weather is warm, but in the cold winter months it’s something we need to be vigilant about.

I did a quick online search and found the following video which explains things rather well.

As you can see from the video above, leaving your child’s coat on in the car is a problem because it creates a gap between your child and their safety harness. In a collision, the harness isn’t as close to your child’s body as it needs to be to allow it to properly restrain them. To keep your children safe in the car this winter, remove their coats and jackets and pull the harness tight enough that you can just get two fingers between your child and the straps. (Source)

In an age of technology, more and more vehicles have vehicle cameras fitted. Buses, vans, cars and even trains are now using this technology to keep their customers and themselves safe. There are lots of different reasons why people use them. Here are just a few scenarios that having a vehicle camera in your car can help protect you from:

• Cash-for-crash
• Pre-meditated staged accidents
• False/exaggerated whiplash claims
• Conflicting reports of actual events
• Lack of witnesses
• Driving offence allegations (Speed Cameras, Traffic Signal violations etc.)

Keeping our children safe when in the car is so important. I also find limiting distractions help for a smooth, stress-free drive. I remember driving home from a birthday party with my girls in the back of the car. They’d been given balloons each, which was nice, but it was very distracting for me when I was trying to drive and the girls were throwing them around in the back of the car. I find a quiet book tends to work well!