Being a mom with three kids in the backseat, I understand the complications and drama that we have to run interference for while we drive. The challenges don’t stop with just one parent in the car though. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen one parent driving and the other parent leaned over into the back seat putting in a pacifier, feeding a bottle, or any number of other parent related activities while driving down the road. Here are a few tips to hopefully help keep us all safe on the road.
- Always keep your seat-belt buckled when the car is moving and/or on the road. You may be tempted to unbuckle for “just a second” to grab something, and while you may not even be the one driving, you are still vulnerable. Not only is it a distraction, regardless of whom the driver is, that could also be the second that someone slams into you.
- Allow plenty of time to get to your destination. This will eliminate the temptation to speed to get there on time, the stress of doing last minute preparations in the car, and allow time to stop for any last minute forgotten items (snack for the soccer team, etc.)
- If you have a baby in the back, consider one parent riding in the backseat to care for any needs the baby might have, especially if traveling a long distance. This will eliminate your temptation to unbuckle and turn around in your seat.
- Respect the weather. Go slow if it’s wet or icy out, and make sure you have plenty of bottled water and blankets in the car so if you get stuck, stranded, or in an accident you can stay warm and hydrated!
- Go hands free with the cell phone in the car, or better yet, keep it in your purse until you reach your destination! We have enough distractions on the road and in the car that we don’t need to add any to that, especially trying to dial a number, text, or check email!
- Get Roadside Assistance. We have this through our insurance company, and it costs very little each month. They’ll come help if we get a flat, run out of gas, lock the keys in the car, need a tow, etc. If you have kids in the car, you don’t want to worry about what to do with them or how to handle them while you deal with any of these situations. We’ve used ours twice and it’s paid for itself for about 10 years in just those 2 instance.
These are just a few tips that I regularly share with those closest to me in my life when we discuss this matter. You should also be shopping rates at least once per year, with policy in hand so you can compare line by line coverage, to make sure you are getting the best rate on your policy. Our company hasn’t always been the lowest, but they’ve matched rates for us before, and overall, with all of our policies combined, they are the lowest price in our area.
Leave a Reply