Driving with a baby on board can be quite scary, especially for a first time parent. You must understand what precautions you should take and the correct equipment that should be used for you and your child to be transported safely.
It is stated that children are 12 times more of a distraction to a driver than talking on a mobile phone. Distractions may include turning around to look at a child, engaging in conversation with the child or playing with them.
Kwik Fit has created an interactive game where you can test your reaction time. This is a great way of testing how quick you are to reacting to distractions whilst driving.
Here are a few tips of how to drive safely when there is a baby on board.
Turn on child locks
Babies are curious people so when they are sat in a car they may be immediately drawn to the door handle. The child lock must always be switched on when a young child is on board to avoid the door opening whilst driving as this could cause serious harm to you, your baby and any potential drivers on the road next to you. You should also disable the electric windows in the back seat so it will not enable the baby to mess around with the switch and it will minimise distraction for you.
Don’t give baby toys or food whilst driving
Toys and food should not be given to your baby whilst you are driving as they could potentially become a choking hazard. This would become extremely dangerous whilst you are driving as you may not be able to pull over safely straight away. Unless there is somebody in the back seats, toys and food can only be provided to your baby when the car is stopped and you can give them your full attention.
Install a mirror
When your baby is traveling alone in the baby seat it may be easier for you to install a back seat mirror. This way you can have an easier view of your baby and you can make sure that everything is ok so you will not have to pull over to check and it will give you better peace of mind.
Never leave a baby unattended in a car
A baby must be never left alone in a car because it can cause death due to heat-related incidents after being trapped in a car. Young children are much higher in the risk of having a heat stroke than adults. This is because the body temperature of children increases 3-5 times faster than adults.
Hopefully these tips will help you when driving with a baby in the future and reduce the risks that traveling with children create.
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