Parents of children are always concerned about their safety and think of all the ways to keep them out of harm’s way. The safety of children while travelling is crucial in this regard. While laws are in place to ensure child safety in the car, careful parents go the extra mile to eliminate every hazard.
If you are worried about your child’s safety, these useful tips to childproof your car will give you some peace of mind.
Useful ways to childproof your car
Mostly car enthusiast couples travel in sporty cars but right after having a baby they embrace family cars also known as people-carriers for the safety of children! While that is amazing, you still have to be very vigilant when it comes to the safety of your children. Following are some of the best ways to childproof your vehicle:
1. Never leave your keys inside
As a rule of thumb, you must never leave the keys inside your car while you are out of it. Growing up babies who crawl can get very mischievous at times. They might not be able to drive your car, but they can definitely fiddle with buttons and buzz your vehicle’s security alarm. Whereas, children over 10 years of age can do much more damage trying to play with car gears. Leaving children alone in the car is not just extremely risky it is an act of negligence. According to the UAE’s Child Rights Law, parents or guardians found leaving their children alone in cars can face jail time of 10 years and fine amounts up to AED 1 million.
2. Childproof car windows
Most cars have power window control near the driver’s seat. Please lock the windows, either roll them down or up according to your convenience and then lock them. Not only does childproofing car windows save parents from getting distracted while their babies are playing with window controls in the back seat, but it also reduces the danger of toddlers getting their fingers, hair or arms stuck in between and saves them from injuries from car windows.
3. Buy baby seats for toddlers
If you are parents to an infant make sure you invest in a baby seat. Car seat safety for babies is extremely important. Infants can’t be seated in the backseat with a normal seat belt. That’s humanly impossible for babies. Therefore, get a comfortable baby seat that can be placed on top of the back seat. Make sure it has a sturdy belt. It is mandatory to use a child safety seat for children up to 4-years-old. Failing to comply with this law results in a fine of AED 400 and 4 black points.
4. Make children seated in the back
In many countries, babies aren’t allowed to sit in the front seat, but some parents insist on making their children sit on their laps in the front seat – please don’t. This is extremely risky for the baby. Even if your car breaks hard, your baby’s head can hit the front window. Always, make your children sit in a safe baby seat fixed in your car’s back seat. Children below 10 years of age are not allowed to sit in the front passenger seat. If anyone violates this law, they will be fined AED 400 and receive 4 black points.
5. Activate child lock
All family cars or passenger vehicles come with rear door locks placed on the inside of your backdoors. Once these locks are activated the door will not open from the inside – it will only open from the outside. Therefore, if your child is growing up and can reach the door handle and open it, you must always activate these child locks.
6. Use a sun visor
It is advisable to keep your baby out of direct sunlight before they are 6 months old. Using a sun visor comes in handy in this regard. A sun visor protects your baby from harsh sun rays.
7. Always keep baby emergency supplies
Baby emergency supplies are also very important when it comes to babyproofing your cars. You must always have baby wipes, baby food, baby diapers, a sterilized bottle and medicines for the baby inside your car. Babies can get a call of nature at any time when they may need changing, and they can also get very cranky if they want food. Although feeding babies while the car is on a move is not advisable. You can park your vehicle and feed your baby if urgent.
8. Avoid feeding toddlers while the car is moving
As mentioned above, feeding baby food, giving them mother feed or using a bottle is highly unadvisable while the car is moving. If your car hits the road hard or the driver has to hit the brake to save an irresponsible pedestrian, the baby might choke on their food. Please be very careful in this regard, the windpipes of infants are extremely sensitive and can choke up very easily.
That is all from our side, we hope the above-mentioned ways to childproof were helpful. You can buy baby items online including safety seats, sun visors, baby changing accessories and baby toys to make your car child-friendly.
Not to forget, if you’ve just become parents and are searching for a family car with modern safety features, you can check out these used cars in the UAE at different prices. Select a family-friendly car of your choice and drive safe.
If you liked this information stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blog for more.
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