Ensuring a child’s safety is the utmost responsibility of a parent, even when seated inside the most comfortable and safest car. There are some specific guidelines for child safety in cars. By following those basic child car safety guidelines, you can ensure a safer ride for your entire family.
While some general guidelines are followed across the world, some regulations are part of the law in different countries. The UAE driving regulations emphasise more on child car safety to avoid uncertain situations, especially when driving on highways. Also, parents need to be careful with kids around cars at all times since the non-traffic fatalities, incidents occurring in driveways and parking lots, are still on the rise.
Child Car Safety Rules in UAE
In an attempt to reduce traffic fatalities and enhance road safety, the UAE Government has passed some traffic and driving laws, therefore, mandating that;
- Children of up to 04 years of age must be seated in child safety seats. Violation of this rule will fine the driver with AED 400 and 04 black points.
- The passenger seated at the front must be at least 145 cm tall and older than 10 years of age.
- All car passengers, sitting both at the front and rear, must wear seat belts. Failure to comply will result in a fine of AED 400 and 04 black points.
Nonetheless, the regulations in the UAE also require that the child car safety seats being sold in the UAE must pass the car crash tests and have appropriate labelling to ensure that correct child car seats were selected based on age and weight.
Car Safety Tips for Children
Here, we have put forth the most essential car safety tips for children for you to practise.
Lock the Car
Keeping your car locked all the time is a crucial step. This not just prevents potential thefts but also protects your children from accessing the car and getting trapped in it. A locked car guarantees that the vehicle’s controls cannot be misused. Also, car keys must be kept beyond children’s reach to prevent mishaps.
Double Check the Seat Belts
Once you are all set to travel, perform a quick double-check on the seat belts. Tell your kids about the importance of wearing seat belts while ensuring that the seat belts are fitted properly. Also, teach the steps of wearing a seat belt to your kids through demonstration. An adult should keep an eye on the kids in case they tuck seatbelts under their arms or behind their back. Also, make sure kids aren’t sharing one seatbelt.
Avoid Leaving Children Unattended
Leaving the kids unsupervised in a car is an open invitation to disaster. Things can get risky in a matter of seconds. Your kids may strangle themselves in seat belts, catch fatal heatstroke, or mishandle vehicular controls causing the car to move itself, consequently endangering life. So, it is safer to keep your child alongside whenever leaving the car.
Prohibit Kids Snacking in the Car
Dangers of choking on snacks while going on a bumpy car ride are quite prevalent. It is crucial that you offer snacks to children before beginning your journey and then distract them using toys. You can also make your kids play road trip games for entertainment.
However, if your child’s tantrums for food gets inevitable, then try opting for safer snacks that have liquid consistency like pudding or fruit snack pouches.
Install Safety Harness and Belts for Kids
The purpose of a child car safety seat is only fulfilled if the child securely fits in it. You must keep an eye on the correct time to upgrade your child’s safety seat with their growing age and weight. Since different car models allow specific seat styles to be accommodated perfectly, it is advisable to consult the manufacturer’s manual for correct installation.
Activate Child Safety Locks
Complete control over the doors and windows of your car is among the most basic rules of car safety for kids. You must activate the child safety locks to prevent your younger ones from getting harmed. If not done right, your kids may trigger the power window that can exert enough force to injure if they put their head out of the car by pinning their head, fingers or hands.
Just in case you are looking for a family car with modern safety features then you can consider these options:
Secure Loose Items and Pets
Even a minor collision can cause loose stuff in the car to function as a cannonball. One must ensure that pets, toys or any loose gear must be well-secured either in a crate or carrier. Nonetheless, all passengers should be buckled up properly to prevent injury.
Hang Onto Kids in Parking Lots
Parking lots serve as a common ground for backing up car accidents. You must not let your children play around parked cars. Always hold their hands in a place like this. There is always a risk of the parking brakes of any car malfunctioning. An adult should be able to move the child out of harm’s way.
One of the car accident safety tips for children is to teach them about reversing vehicles. Overlooking the person behind while reversing a car can cause serious injuries. You must teach younger ones what a reverse tail light is and how it functions, also make them familiar with the beeping sound of a large vehicle backing up.
Define Safe Sleeping Positions for Kids
Most kids tend to snooze during rides, which in case of an accident may cause harm if the head falls towards the chest and blocks the airway. To prevent such incidents, keep the child safety harness and car safety belts secure as they sleep and use the headrest of booster seats to restrain the head position.
Car accidents are usually unpredictable as they are often caused by a sudden loss of control. To enhance your child’s car safety and prevent them from getting harmed in such situations, you must try to childproof your car.
Besides, if you are looking for any used car with enhanced safety features then browsing through these used cars for sale in UAE will prove fruitful for you.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blog for more information on car safety and safe driving tips.
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