After Halloween trick-and-treat, we are getting ready for the winter holidays and vacations, celebrating year end and gathering with family and friends. This is the time we need to especially careful when driving. As many of American families suffer from fatal traffic crashes due to drunk driving directly and indirectly. At this time of the year, there are significantly increased accidents on the road. So it is very important to slow down whether it is bad weather or you are in rush to parties. If you drink, do not drive.
These days our cars are safer than they have even been as new technologies and safety awareness, most of cars have antilock brakes, air bags, and stability control have reduced and prevented the number of deaths and injuries from crashes. Thankfully, high-tech amenities such as precollision braking systems and lane-departure warning systems should help driver avoid crashes in the first place.
Buckle Up
It might be “old school fashion” that we emphasize wearing a seat belt as number one holiday travel safety. It remains the most effective way to prevent people from being killed or injured during a crash. You will find it is surprising “buck up” reduces the great chances of dying by nearly 50%. There is 95% seat belt use in California, saving us 1,500 lives per year.
Children Safety
It is not really a good picture to paint when it comes to keeping our young passengers safe. There are 90% of parents put young passengers in car seats, shockingly these car seats are misused 80% of the time, children often are not secure tightly enough in the set or the seat isn’t fastened securely to the vehicle. Plus many parents move toddlers to a booster seat before it’s safe to do so. There is only 40% of parents place their children in booster seats for travel safety, even then these parents often move their youngsters to regular seat belts too soon.
Make sure that your children restrained in the backseat, either in a car seat or booster seat, until they reach at least 6 years old or weigh 60 pounds.
New Law On Child Safety
Just following the law is not enough to ensure children travel safety. For example, California requires that infants ride in rear-facing car seats until age 1, but new guidelines from the American Pediatric Association advise keeping children in rear-facing car seats until age 2. A new law requires children to be in booster seats until age 8. Its effective January 1, 2012. This is supported by the Auto Club. It is considered as an improvement, however it is even safer to keep your youngster in booster seats until they are large enough to fit safely in adult seat belts. Finally, children should ride in the backseat though age 12.
For additional information, you may visit AAA.com/saferdrving to find more about holiday travel safety and the latest crash-test standards and automotive safety features.
Hope you and your family have a happy and safe holiday season.
Loading ...