Automobile Safety During the Early Years

For many, one of the joys of summer is traveling by automobile with young children to visit family members or tour recreational sites. But far too often we hear of fatalities that occur when children are left alone in closed, hot vehicles, or were improperly seated. Tragedies like these can be avoided by following some basic guidelines:

Prevent heat exposure

Never leave a young child alone in an automobile. Children can be quickly overcome by heat exposure and dehydration if left in a hot, airtight vehicle. Regardless of the length of time an adult expects to be away from the vehicle, a young child should never be left alone.

Children are not cargo

Trucks are increasingly becoming a popular form of transportation for travel, and space limitations often lead adults to allow children to ride in the cargo area. More than 200 deaths per year occur to persons riding in pickup truck cargo beds--more than half of these are deaths of children and teenagers. In addition, children riding in covered cargo beds are exposed to the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust fumes. Most noncollision deaths are caused by falls due to swerving, braking or rough roads. In one-third of these cases, the victim was standing up, sitting on the tail-gate, or "playing" while in motion.

Use safety devices properly

Most late-model vehicles are equipped with air bags. While air bags have saved more than 900 lives since they were introduced in the late 1980s, children can be seriously injured or killed by an air bag, especially if they are not wearing a seat belt.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a warning against placing a rear-facing child seat (those used for infants) in the front seat of a car with an air bag. NHTSA also recommends that the safest place for children of any age to ride is the rear seat of a vehicle.

Never hold a baby in your lap when you are riding in an automobile. Infants up to 20 pounds and up to 1 year old should ride in a rear-facing child seat positioned in the back seat, and facing the rear of the car, van, or truck.

Children weighing more than 20 pounds and at least one year of age should ride in a car seat that faces the front of the vehicle. Children over 40 pounds should ride in a booster seat until the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belts fit properly. Be sure not to place the shoulder belt behind the child’s back or under her arm.

School bus safety

Although most children are out of school for the summer, many continue to travel to camp or other activities by school bus. To make school bus transportation safer, children should be taught the following safety rules:

• When the bus approaches, stand at least three giant steps (6 feet) away from the curb, and line up away from the street
• Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it’s okay before stepping onto the bus
• Never walk behind the bus
• If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver before you pick it up.

Summertime traveling continues to be an enjoyable American pastime. Parents and early childhood professionals can make automobile trips even more fun by using caution and common sense in protecting children from automotive hazards.

Additional Resources

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Hotline. Tel. 1-888-327-4236; http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

National Safe Kids Campaign, 111 Michigan Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20010. Tel. 202-884-4993; http://www.safekids.org

Children’s Safety Network, Educational Development Center, Inc. 55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02158. Tel. 617-969-7101, ext. 2207; http://www.edc.org