Car Safety for Children and Pets

When it comes to car design, everyone seems to be expected to spring forth from birth as fully formed adults. While many drivers take that for granted, for a lucky some of us our most precious passengers don’t fit into this car design’s dream of what a passenger should be. Babies, children, and pets: while all of us try to be perfect drivers when these beloved people are in our car, it’s important to keep them safe by having right equipment, using it properly, and teaching them how to follow the rules to keep themselves safe.

Infants and Toddlers – Picking the Right Seat

As an infant, children should be placed in a rear-facing seat to better protect their still-forming skeletal system, specifically their spinal vertebrae that have not yet ossified and are more likely to be damaged from the strain of a forward facing seat in the event of an accident. Current recommendations are for the child to remain in the rear-facing seat until at least age one and 20 pounds. However, according to Consumer Reports, it’s now recommended to remain rear facing up to 23 months.

After one year, especially for fast growers, it’s worth looking into a convertible seat. These seats can start rear-facing and then transition to front facing when they reach 2 years. When you start planning for a car seat, make sure you pick the right one and have it properly installed. In Massachusetts you can locate your nearest Child Safety Seat Inspection Site, which have Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technicians on staff to help you pick the right seat and make sure it’s installed properly.

Young Children – Teaching Proper Safety

Once your child transforms into a self-mobile and constantly questioning individual, it’s important not only to make sure they are safe, but also make sure they understand and follow car safety, since it’s in their power to take off seatbelts, squirm around, and generally make themselves unsafe in the car. Kid’s Health recommends setting rules, such as:

• Always Have the Seatbelt On: Both as a rule and as an example, always have seatbelts on while the car is on the road. No excuses to take it off unless you’ve parked.
• Kids in the Backseat: Front seat air bags are dangerous to children, especially those under the age of 13. There are no exceptions for allowing your child in the front seat.
• Stay in Control: Keep it cool in the car and make sure everyone else does too. When you’re driving with passengers, you need to be even freer from distractions than usual.

Pets – Buckling Fido Up

Children aren’t the only ones who can provide not only a distraction, but also a danger to themselves and others in the event of a car accident. While most pets will sulk in a travel cage, many dogs have free reign of their owner’s car. However, not only can they be a distraction as they roam around your car, they can physically interfere with your ability to drive. If the vehicle does get into an accident, your dog can become a projectile, not only injuring itself, but others in the car. This is why dog car seat belts are becoming popular: harnesses with linking points to your vehicle’s seat belts. Head over to Rover.com to learn more about them and which types are currently recommended.

Just like you should always have the right rules and equipment to keep those in your car safe, you should also have the right insurance to keep your car and passengers covered. Talk to the H&K Insurance Agency and we’ll help you figure out if your current policies have your car and passengers properly covered, as well as finding the best combination of service and price for your unique situation.