Keeping Your Family Safe in the Car by Eliminating Risks and Making Rules
With technology booming forward at breakneck speeds, we now have new distractions to contribute to the lack of safety on the road. As conscientious drivers, we compete with inexperienced younger drivers, older – less practiced drivers and middle-age drivers on their cell phones. All we used to have to worry about was someone trying to apply makeup in their rearview. Today GPS systems are beeping, in-car DVD players are playing, thundering audio systems are booming and cell phones are ringing.
Whether you’re a seasoned-pro at driving, or you’re borderline pulling your hair out, there are several things that you can do to improve the behavior of your child in the car so that you can concentrate on the important task of getting you where you’re going safely.
One of the first and most important things you can do is establish a set of ground rules for expected behavior in the car. You should ensure that each member of the family understands these rules and that everyone follows them every time you get in the car regardless of where you are going or how or short the trip is going to be.
Keep your children occupied while in the car. If you have a portable DVD player set up in your vehicle, bring along your child’s favorite movie or cartoon and plug them in! Be sure to give your child a set of headphones to listen to the DVD with so that they can adjust the volume accordingly to ensure the viewing is not a distraction for the driver.
Provide safe activities for your child to engage in while in the car. Books are a great way to keep the kiddoes quiet, or you may opt for a coloring book and a small box of crayons.
Insist that everyone in the vehicle use an “inside car voice”. Loud unexpected outbursts can startle the driver and potentially cause an accident.
There should never be any kind of arguments between your children while in the vehicle. Talk to your children before backing out of the driveway each time and have them decide which activity each will participate in. Be sure to set up rules for sharing so that the rules are completely understood and things go smoothly once on the road.
Maintain consistency in your child’s behavior by having your child sit in the same place each time he/she gets in the car, reviewing the rules, always wearing a seat belt, etc.
Inform others of the behavior expected of your child while in the car in order that they encourage appropriate behavior if your child is to be transported by someone else.
Make certain that your child understands all rules and understands the relationship between his/her behavior and the consequences that follow if the rules are not followed.
Offer an incentive for your child if he/she is having trouble sticking to the rules. Perhaps good manners in the car will lead to a sticker for their progress board if you use one.
Do not criticize. When correcting your child, be honest yet supportive. You should never cause your child to feel bad about themselves.
Remember to set a good example for your children by following the same rules yourself that you have set for them.
If your child is not doing well in the car, be sure to intervene and speak with your child. Let him/her know what he/she is doing wrong, what should be done, and what the consequences are for the inappropriate behavior.
Intervene early when there is a problem in the car in order to prevent more serious problems from occurring.
Assign your child important safety responsibilities while riding in the car such as making sure doors are locked and seatbelts are fastened.
If you have multiple children, you may want to assign a different “car monitor” each time you head out to the car. The car monitor can help ensure that everyone is behaving appropriately.
If it becomes necessary that you must intervene while you are driving, remember to be calm. Safely maneuver your vehicle to the side of the road, put the vehicle in park and turn in your seat to ensure that you are able to make eye-contact with your child when you speak with them.
Safe driving is something everyone should take very seriously. Be sure that you explain to your child the reasons why following the rules in the car are so important. Make sure they understand the danger of inappropriate behavior when riding in a vehicle. As always, deal with your child patiently and with love and understanding.
