Rand Spear, Philadephia Car Accident Attorney, has worked many car crash cases that involve distracted drivers. You may think that cell phones are the main distraction to drivers, but children in the car are often just as distracting, or even more so.
In their 2014 study, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported that children in the car are a major distraction to their driving parents. If you are a parent, you likely know this to be true. Keeping children – especially young children – happy and calm in the car is no small feat. Many moms give their kids snacks, change DVDs, and pick up dropped toys, all while navigating their cars. And, while you can silence your cell phone, you can’t do the same with your children.
Tips for Avoiding Distracted Driving with Children in the Car
The following are some of the tips that Spear suggests for parents of small children when they are driving:
- Make sure that your children are secured in car seats, booster seats, or seat belts that are appropriate for their age and weight.
- Allow extra time to reach your destinations when you are driving with children in the car. This allowance will keep you from being in a hurry when meltdowns, dropped toys, and diaper changes require you to pull over.
- Try to travel with another adult in the car who can tend to the children, especially if you are driving long distances.
- Keep special “car only” toys that will keep children engaged while traveling.
- Provide snacks for children during longer than usual car rides. Use snack holders and cups with no-spill lids.
- If you have a child who won’t stop crying in the car, pull over. Don’t try to soothe your child by turning around.
- Take breaks frequently on long drives.
Parents’ Driving Behavior Makes a Difference
In addition to the above tips, how you drive when you have children in the car also matters. While most new parents will say that they are safer drivers since their children were born, statistics about their driving behaviors say otherwise:
- 26% of parents have texted or emailed while driving with their babies in the car
- 78% have talked on the phone while driving with their babies in the car
- 55% drive over the speed limit while driving with their babies in the car
- 64% have turned around to tend to a child while driving
- Nearly all new parents drive while sleep deprived
About one out of ten new parents have been in an accident with their baby in the car. That is an amount that is comparable to newly-licensed teenage drivers.
About Philadelphia’s Car Accident Lawyer Rand Spear
If you have been injured in a car accident, you need a personal injury attorney to represent the best interests in your claim. Let car accident attorney, Rand Spear, help you with your case. Contact his office today at 215-985-2424 to get the help you need.
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