Kids and Cars
Beyond the basics, such as never leaving children alone in a car or teaching them that all those bells and whistles aren’t toys, what can you do to keep kids safe around a vehicle? According to Safercar.gov, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, most not-in-traffic incidents can be avoided. Here’s how:
- Backover: Before backing out, visually inspect the surrounding area. Ask playing children to stand in full view. Keep watch as you reverse, with your windows rolled down so that you can hear their voices and see their movements.
- Seat Belt Entanglement: Children may play with seat belts by pulling them all the way out, which activates a locking mechanism that can be deadly if a child has wrapped the belt around his head, neck, or waist. Buckle an unused seat belt after pulling it all the way out and feeding the excess webbing back into the retractor.
- Trunk Entrapment: Hide and seek can turn dangerous if a child becomes trapped in a car or trunk where rising temperatures can result in heatstroke or asphyxiation. Always lock your car, even when it’s just parked in the garage, and keep keys out of reach.
- Power Windows: Beyond activating the power window lock switch, you can prevent windows from closing on fingers, wrists, and hands by visually checking to ensure windows are “all clear” every time you raise them.
- Vehicle rollaway: Even if a vehicle’s engine is off, if the key is in the ignition, an automatic transmission may be shifted out of park and set in motion. Every time you park, use the emergency brake.
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