Car Safety Facts Every Parent Should Know

Getting your family in the car on time can feel like mission impossible. With a crew of rambunctious toddlers or teens in tow, the act of getting to and from school, dance practice, or a sporting event can feel like an eternity. Luckily, modern cars provide spacious interiors, hands-free communication, and even some entertainment options to make your kids’ time in the car a little more fun. That said, no matter how busy your weekly routine is or how desperate you’ve become to speed up the onboarding process, every parent should stay up-to-date and implement car safety facts. These state laws help improve your children’s safety all throughout their growth.

Seat safety remains the biggest car safety concern for kids

According to the CDC, 46% of car seats or booster seats are assembled wrong. Thereby the potential to endanger a child becomes more apparent if cautious measures are not taken. Parents are responsible for assembling and securing their little one in a car seat, but there are certain factors that could decrease your child’s level of safety. Here are the reasons car seat safety falls short of expectations sometimes:

• purchase the wrong type of car seat
• loosening the car seat harness frequently
• switching from rear-facing to forward facing too early

Aside from these common car seat mistakes, your car might have a poor latch system. If that’s the case, you may want to consider investing in a new car. Preferably one that ranks as one of the best family vehicles on the automotive market.

Here’s what to know about car safety facts

To keep your family safe, take a closer look at the top car safety facts in 2021. We can’t recommend enough the importance to start them young. Kids keep a watchful eye on everything their parent or guardian does. Therefore, set the right example for your loved ones by abiding by car safety laws and regulations.

Most accidents occur near home

This might be the most relevant piece of information to keep in mind when driving your brood around town. Many parents assume that most horrible wrecks occur on highways and big-city interstates. However, the reality is that the majority of accidents involving kids happen on residential roads. You could be on your way to the grocery store or even in-line to pick up your child from the school day.

Kids aged 4 to 8 are at higher risk

By the time your child reaches age 4, you might be ready to ease up on the safety restraints. And by that we mean toss aside the car seat or booster seat they’ve been using. As much as you want to give in to the notion of your youngster becoming an independent passenger, there is too much risk involved.   A booster seat is effective in keeping your little one safe during those next four years and should always be a consideration. Some parents tend to skip this stage, actually only 20% of children between age 4 and 8 ride in booster seats.

Parked cars can be dangerous too

Non-traffic automobile accidents are more common than you think. Opening a car door on a pedestrian or cyclists or parking in a dangerous location can increase your chances of something bad occurring. On top of that, you have heat  exposure and other deadly risk factors. Essentially, don’t just park anywhere. Consider your surroundings and look for the safest, most out of the way place to allow your family to rest on a road trip.

Pick up some pointers from these awesome car safety facts

Becoming a parent means experiencing a lot of firsts. Don’t let your first accident with the kids in tow be detrimental due to misinformation. We’ve provided these car safety facts in hope that more parents will get informed and spread greater awareness for this cause. Although car tech advancements are breaking the barrier on safe driving, it takes added responsibility from parents to maintain child safety at all times.

To learn more about car safety facts, specifically for children, check out our post about the various organizations that have contributed and advocated for heat safety this year.