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The nights have drawn in, the temperature has dropped, and the Christmas period is fast approaching.
If you’re heading on a family road trip, or are planning to visit relatives over the festivities, there’s a few things you can do to ensure your family’s safety on each journey. Silver Cross’ Car Safety Technologist, Kat Gemmell shares her top tips.
Car seat safety
Use the correct stage car seat. Your little one will need different stages of car seat as they grow. Some car seats are single stage, whereas others are multi-stage. It is worth maximising the time in each seat until it is fully outgrown by weight (if a harness car seat) or height – whatever comes first.
Ensure the seat is compatible with your car. Although child seat to vehicle compatibility is much better than it used to be thanks to ISOFIX, there are still occasions where a seat will not fit. It is important to consult the Silver Cross vehicle compatibility list to check your car is approved, and also have a physical fit check in-store prior to purchase if possible.
Make sure the seat is fitted correctly. ISOFIX connected? Check. Support leg/top tether connected? Check. The green indicators on Silver Cross’ ISOFIX points are easy to see, so you can quickly check your seat is safely attached to the vehicle.
Toys in the car. If you’re involved in a collision, anything that is not strapped down in the car will fly around at the speed you have crashed at, until it hits something and stops. That could be the interior of the car, or a passenger. A box of tissues on the parcel shelf can hit you with the force of a house brick, so it is worth looking at what toys your little one has in the car.
Take regular breaks. When going on long journeys, it is important to take regular breaks. Not just for your little passengers, but for yourself too! ROSPA recommends taking a 15-minute break for every two hours of driving. For full term healthy birth weight babies, we recommend no more than two hours in their car seat at a time. If little one is a low birth weight, premature or has any underlying medical conditions, it may be worth reducing this time. Ideally you should have another passenger to monitor little one whilst in the car, but if this isn’t possible, a large mirror attached to the back seat can help you keep an eye on baby.
Winter clothing
Pre-heat your vehicle where possible. Cars manufactured more recently will sometimes have an app that allows you to pre-heat your car remotely.
Dress your little passenger in thin layers, such as a vest, indoor clothes and cardigan. A hat and gloves can be used when it is very cold, but small babies will not be able to remove these themselves and could easily overheat.
Use a blanket to keep them warm until the car heats up – when it is very cold, the blanket could be placed over a radiator before travel.
The no coats rule also applies to older children in boosters. Seatbelts are designed to fit closely to the body, and thick padded jackets can cause the seatbelt to not sit correctly on the child.
Vehicle checks
Check your tyres every two weeks to ensure the pressure is correct.
Ensure your windscreen wipers clear your screen effectively, that your antifreeze fluid and screen wash is at the correct level and all lights are working on your car.
Have a breakdown kit in your vehicle, containing items such as warm clothing, a torch, hi-vis jackets, emergency foil blankets and long-life snacks. If your baby is formula fed, also keep some ready-made formula and sterile bottles in the kit. It is also worth taking a flask of hot drink on long journeys.
Keep de-icer and a scraper in the boot of your car so you can de-ice easily when you’re away from home. Remember to clear the whole windscreen when de-icing – it is illegal to drive with a covered windscreen.
Author: Silver Cross
Instagram: @silvercrossuk
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