How To Avoid Car Accidents While Driving With Kids
You want to avoid car accidents all the time, but especially when your most precious cargo is on board. When you have your child with you while driving, it’s natural to be more concerned about safety.
How can you stay proactive and keep your family safe?
Stay on the Defensive
To avoid car accidents, it is vital to keep a defensive driving mindset when you get behind the wheel. You can make sure you personally stay focused and alert, but you have no control over other drivers.
Whether another motorist falls asleep at the wheel or thinks it is acceptable to respond to a text while driving, you have to be ready to react. The best way to make sure you are prepared is to keep your eyes moving. Check all of your mirrors every 30 seconds and never assume other drivers will act predictably.
Keep a Safe Following Distance
The most common type of collision is running to the car in front of you. For this reason, make sure you always keep an adequate distance between you and the next car. Experts recommend that in normal road conditions you maintain a three-to-four-second distance. At nighttime, or when the weather is bad and the roads are icy or wet, the recommended distance is longer.
Don’t Get Too Comfortable
If you ever feel tired enough where you could fall asleep, don’t get behind the wheel. It’s not worth the risk to your life and the lives of your children or other passengers. Pullover at a rest stop if you feel yourself beginning to reach a point of serious exhaustion.
Prepare Your Children Beforehand
Make sure your children are in car seats or booster seats that are appropriate for their height and weight. Before you begin a long drive, pack finger foods, books and toys within their easy reach. They will stay entertained and you will not have to take your eyes off the road.
You should never let your children unbuckle their seat belts or move around inside the car when it’s in motion. Not only is this illegal, it’s a dangerous distraction for you that could further put your lives at risk.
Teach Your Kids About Safe Driving
The best way to teach a lesson is to model it. Never text and drive. Don’t eat and drive. Explain to your children that approximately 90 percent of car accidents are caused by human error. When everyone in the car recognizes how important it is for the driver to stay focused and alert, it is much more likely that you will avoid car accidents and the accompanying potential injuries.
If you are involved in a car crash, Stauffer’s Towing is the team you should call after you alert the authorities. A reliable towing company may not be able to help you avoid car accidents, but you can bet that you’ll get immediate assistance after the fact.
