Head off the kids' problems before they start in the car. Explain to them that everyone's safety depends on your ability to focus on the road ahead. Tell them that they can talk to Mommy and Daddy as well as one another, but to not fight or undo their seat belts. Explain to them that they are not to touch the door locks or handles, because you do not want anyone to fall out of the moving vehicle.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), "Every day in the United States, an average of 5 children age 14 and younger were killed and 568 were injured in motor vehicle crashes during 2006."
Parents, read your car seat safety instructions, including your vehicle owner's manual regarding the operation of your seat belts; doing so will ensure your child's safety. Do not place rear-facing car seats in the front seat of your vehicle equipped with passenger-side airbags. Deployment of the airbag could result in injury to your child. The NHTSA recommends that children 12 and under sit in the rear seat away from the force of the airbag. Always make sure the car seat and your child are properly buckled in before driving away.
* Infants up to 1 year of age weighing up to 20 lb. must be in rear-facing car seats.
* Ages 1 to 4 weighing up to 40 lb. must be facing forward in their car seats.
* Ages 4 to 8 weighing over 40 lb. must be belted into a booster seat.
Occupying children during the outing will make them happier and leave you free to watch the road. If you have a DVD player in the car, use it, and if the trip is long enough, have each child pick out a separate movie to watch. Children in the backseat could play flash card games, since these games do not require them to unbuckle their seat belts. Interacting with your children during a vacation trip can be enjoyable, like playing word games or singing a song. Older kids can bring along their music players, books or magazines.
