08 Apr On The Road with Kids: Road Trip Safety
It’s holiday time again which means a lot of our families are on the road exploring new places. With all this extra time in the car it’s important that we are ensuring safe travel with our Little ones. Here are our top tips to ensure car safety this holiday!
Prepare The Car
Before putting your kids in the car, turn the car on for a few minutes with the air conditioning running first to make sure the car cools down before sitting them in their car seats.
Travel In The Morning
Where possible, travel in the morning when the sun is less hot! Child car seats have been known to get very hot, so dress them in a fewer layers to avoid over heating.
Avoid Dehydration
If your baby is still solely on breast and bottle feeds, then it is recommended that you offer extra feeds while travelling to minimise the risk of dehydration.
Take Breaks
Babies are not meant to spend long periods of time in their car seat. During stops, allow your baby to kick, roll or crawl around on a rug on the ground where it is safe for them to do so.
Snack With Care
Be careful when giving your littles one’s snacks to eat in the car while driving. Children must be supervised when eating to avoid choking, so when it’s time to have something to eat, we recommend pulling over somewhere safe so that you can watch your child eat. We do not recommend letting your child eat while you drive as you may miss a complete obstruction.
Beware Of Projectiles
Beware of projectiles in the car, such as sippy cups or heavier toys. Although they may seem harmless, during a crash these objects can be thrown around a car and have been known to cause serious injury.
allow plenty of time for travel.
When travelling with a baby, you may find you need to stop more often or for longer than planned. Allow yourself lots of time to travel. You may also want to check real-time information on traffic jams road conditions and closures from the following government sources:
- New South Wales (132 701)
- Northern Territory (1800 246 199)
- Queensland (13 19 40)
- South Australia (1300 361 033)
- Tasmania
- Victoria (13 11 70)
- Western Australia (138 138)
We hope these tips will help you to drive more safely and smoothly with children in the car. Safe travels!