Our top tips on safe driving with your little ones this Summer
Warm days mean trips and holidays to the seaside and beyond and as the weather hots up it’s important that we think about how the increased temperatures and longer journeys can affect our precious cargo of young passengers.
Think long journeys and we all think of the classic kid’s refrain “are we there yet?”, but keeping our little charges occupied isn’t the only thing we need to think about; there are other, more vital things we need to keep in mind.
Whether you’re loading your car up for a weekend away, two weeks by the sea or a car ferry crossing, you need to make absolutely sure that everything is packed safely. If you have to stop in a hurry and slam on your brakes, what you don’t want are loose items flying around the inside of the car; these could easily injure your child, as they’re strapped into their car-seat and can’t dodge any flying loose items.
When the sun beats down the cabin of your car heats up and it gets much hotter than you’d think, quicker than you’d imagine. NEVER leave your children in the car while you pop into a shop, visit the post office or run to buy snacks. You’ll always end up being longer than you think and once you’re out of the car and the air-con is off, the temperature in a parked car shoots up by nearly 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first ten minutes.
Remember, in this heat, children and animals die in parked cars.
Whilst you’re out of the car enjoying yourselves, the sun will also heat up anything inside your car’s cabin that’s made of metal, most importantly seatbelt buckles can get sizzling hot; hot enough to burn and even blister tender young skin.
Make sure you cover anything metal, including seatbelt buckles, with a blanket, cardie, scarf, anything you have to hand which will shield the metal from the force of the sun’s heat.
When you park your car up, lock it, even if you’re parked next to your tent or caravan, if it’s open kids can get inside when they’re playing and can accidentally lock themselves in.
Lock the electric window controls so that you’re in charge of them, the lure of whizzing windows up and down can be too much for bored, restless kids, but you need to prevent pinched fingers, arms and any other flailing extremities!
Invest in a couple of sun shades to keep your little ones from getting too hot. For a relatively cheap cost you can buy sets of either two of four shades for the front and back windows which will prevent your car from getting too hot inside.
Carry plenty of water with you to keep the kids and adults hydrated and make sure you take toilet and rest pit-stops frequently.
Enjoy your trip!
Why not check out our guide to beating the heat when you don't have air con or how to prepare for a long, hot journey.
Don't forget to make your your car is ready for the heat with a summer check