The sun is out and the temperature is rising so we must be approaching the school summer holidays. The time when memories are made, parent-child bonds are strengthened and everyone enjoys themselves. With your baby on board we think it’s important to remind everyone of the potential dangers of having your little bundles of joy in the car on a long journey.
When most people think of long car journeys with their children, their first thought is the international cry of “are we there yet?”. However, this shouldn’t be the only thing on your mind.
Summer Safety With Your Baby On Board
Whether you’re loading up your car for a short trip to the airport, a weekend away at the seaside or a visit to Auntie Mable; you should always ensure that everything in the car is stowed away properly. In the event that you suddenly need to perform an emergency stop you don’t want to be worrying about objects flying round the cabin of the car. Loose items within the car can potentially hit a child that is strapped into their car seat. With your precious cargo strapped up and unable to move the last thing you want them to encounter is a flying object.
(Clip credit: New Zealand Government Car Safety Advert)
Parking With Baby On Board
When the sun’s shining down on your car the cabin can heat up very quickly. This isn’t a problem if you’re driving along as you can either open the windows for some fresh air or turn on the air conditioning to help cool down. The problem can arise though when you park up, as a car left parked in the sun can see a sharp rise in temperature. In fact it could rise by as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit in the first 10 minutes. The last thing you should be doing is leaving children in the car on their own, even if you’re only popping into the shop for a few minutes. You’ll always take longer than you think, so take your children with you. After all, children and pets can die in parked cars so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Before you go out and enjoy yourselves in the sun, you should make an effort to cover up anything metal within the cabin. Items such as belt buckles can get sizzling hot; hot enough to burn a small child’s skin.
Once you’ve parked up ensure that your car is locked, even if it’s parked next to your tent or caravan. This is because children playing games could accidentally lock themselves in the car.
Shielding Children From The Sun
In all likelihood you’re going to cover you child head to toe in with sunscreen when they go outside to play, but why leave it there. Car sun shades are a great way to protect your little ones from the summer sun whilst driving along. These affordable shades come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit most vehicles and are the perfect way to keep your car cool whilst travelling.
Water. Water. Water
I can’t emphasise this one enough. No matter how long the journey, you should always ensure that you have plenty of water in the car for both you and your children.
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