Children’s Day: 6 safety tips when you have kids in the car

Most parents will agree: there are few things more important than the protection of their children. And in celebrating children, it’s pivotal to discuss car safety. Parents play a pivotal role in ensuring their children are safe when travelling on the road.
According to a Nigeria Watch report on trends and patterns of fatal road accidents in Nigeria (2006-2014), “The incidence of fatal road accidents in Nigeria is phenomenal. Trend analysis of fatal road accidents between June 2006 and May 2014 using Nigeria
Watch database shows that 15,090 lives were lost to fatal road accidents in 3 075 events”.
Tips for parents:
1. Use car seats – It’s the law and car seats are there to ensure that your young children are protected from the devastating effects of a car crash.
2. Buckle up – It’s the law, and if children don’t wear their seat belts in a crash they are much more likely to be injured or killed than a child wearing a seat belt.
3. Never speed – Parents might be late for school, rushing to drop their children off at an afternoon activity or late for a birthday – but excessive speed continues to be a factor in road deaths globally.

4. Don’t drive distracted – We live in a busy world and we are always connected. Ensure you don’t get distracted and you don’t engage in activities such as texting whilst you drive or applying makeup when you’re stopped in early morning traffic on your way to the children’s school. Keep your hands on the steering wheel.
5. Don’t follow too closely – Cities such as Lagos are similar to other economic hubs and are notorious for traffic. Getting your children to and from school can be stressful but parents should keep the proper distance from the car in front of them. Rear end collisions are common and preventable.
6. Never drink and drive – Parents should remember that drinking and driving will result in deaths and cannot be tolerated.
Source: Ford Motor Company