Travelling with a car is fun but due to the excitement is easy to overlook a few things. Here are some safety tips for summer car trips with stuffed animals.
“Everyone in the car should be buckled up on every ride, and children should be in an appropriate car seat or booster seat. If you are not certain about the seat you have for your child or its installation in your car—you are not alone. Approximately 70 percent of car seats are not installed properly! The good news is there are over 37,000 certified car seat technicians across the U.S. that can assist you”, says Sarah Haverstick, a safety advocate and certified Child Passanger Safety Techician for Evenflo to Parenting.com.
You should not overlook the importance of a safety seat. Also keep in mind there are many types of seats, so it is best to consult with a technician before buying a certain seat. Also it will be good if the child can test the seat beforehand to see if it is comfortable. After all he or she will be spending quite some time in it. If it is a toddler watch for the way he or she moves. If the baby keeps moving a wriggling constantly in one seat, but seems much more relaxed in the other seat, then it is more than obvious which one is more comfortable.
Anything that is not secured could potentially become a projectile in the event of a crash. This includes unoccupied booster seats, strollers, sports and outdoor equipment, or large bags”, adds Sarah. So it is best to place loose objects in the trunk, buckle up the unused seats and store small items in the cargo nets and cubby holes.
Also use sunshades that come as window-clings and avoid the ones that use suction cups or metal bars. Most importantly, bring along soft toys and stuffed animals to entertain the children during travel and keep them comfort. In the event of an accident loose stuffies won’t be harmful.
Next be sure to watch over the children during the trip. It is possible they overheat in the booster seats. Have water on hand and give them to drink often to stay hidrated in hot weather. Never leave them alone in the car.
Also note that some booster seats use metal buckles that can get extremely hot when exposed to the sun for long periods of time. One option is to use bucckle pockets. The other one is to cover the seat with a blanket when you leave the car or use a small piece of cloth to wrap around the buckle when the child is inside.
Well, those may be a bit more than just seven seven tips for summer car trips, but we hope you find at least some of them useful. Have a safe and fun trip.
