“People have been caught doing all sorts of things that distract them behind the wheel – from eating an ice cream cone to talking on a cell phone to driving drunk – but one of the worst distractions might be something parents do every day; driving with kids in the backseat of the car,” according to ABC News.
Now that the holidays have officially arrived, parents all over South Carolina (and the nation) are going to be packing up their kids in the car and taking road trips to see family over Christmas Break and New Year’s. As a parent, you know that children can be extremely distracting, especially on long car rides – you don’t need us to tell you that!
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Distracted driving is dangerous, claiming 3,477 lives in 2015 alone.” With that in mind, it’s important to minimize the distractions while taking a family road trip. To keep your family safe on this holiday season, follow these tips for surviving holiday road trips with kids:
1. Travel during naptimes. If you have small children, we recommend scheduling your travel plans around their nap schedules. Feed them before you leave and head out the door just before their normal naptime. This can buy you at least an hour or two of peace!
2. Leave during bedtime. You can plan to hit the road a few hours before your child naturally wakes up, or you can leave just before bedtime to get a few hours of driving in before you stop at a motel or hotel for the night.
3. Keep your children fed. There’s nothing like hearing, “I’m hungry!” from the backseat of the car over (and over) again. To keep their belly’s full, feed them before you leave and keep plenty of snacks on hand for the car ride. If you allow your children to eat in the car, beware of choking hazards. We recommend giving them soft foods for the car ride.
4. Bring things to keep them busy. You can pack a variety of books, cards, toys, crayons and paper, and other toys made just for travel to keep your kids occupied. These come in handy in hotel rooms and at Grandma’s house too!
5. Take advantage of technology. If possible, bring a portable DVD player with a collection of DVDs for your children to watch. A tablet can come in very handy too, especially if it has data or video games downloaded on the device. If you feel bad about turning to technology for a peaceful car ride – don’t. It’s far better to keep the car calm than to have a distracted driver who is stressed about wining or crying kids in the back!
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