What Do Parents Instruct Their Children to Do While Riding in a Car?

It is important that parents provide their children with rules before they ride in a vehicle, as these instructions can help keep them safe. Of the more than 32,000 motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. in 2011, 1,341 involved children, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. By providing your children with a clear idea of what is expected of them when riding in a vehicle, you can decrease their risk of serious injury or death.

  1. Use Age-Appropriate Safety Restraint

    • Perhaps the most important instruction that you can give a child is to always ride in an age-appropriate child restraint. Infants under the age of 2 should ride in a rear-facing seat, unless they exceed the manufacturer's height or weight limit for rear-facing seats before that age. Once the child is too old or large to ride rear-facing, he should ride facing forward in a seat with a safety harness. Instruct your child that he is to ride in one of these seats until he outgrows the maximum height or weight allocations. Next, your child should sit in a booster seat until he is at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and is between 8 and 12 years old. Because he will probably start securing himself in the booster seat, it is important that you teach him that the shoulder belt should extend across the middle of his chest and shoulder rather than his neck. He should also learn that the lap belt goes across his hips, rather than his stomach, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

    Sit in the Back Seat

    • For added protection, children younger than 13 should always ride in the back seat of the car. The risk of injury for a child increases by between 40 and 70 percent when riding in the front seat, reports the AAP, as many of these injuries to children are caused by cars' airbags. A child is more likely to ride in the front seat if the vehicle is being driven by someone other than her parents, so it is important that you instruct your child to sit in the back seat of any car in which she rides.

    Stay Calm

    • Some children get excited when riding in a car, which elevates the risk of an accident occurring. Teach your children the importance of staying calm as they ride in the car, as screaming or moving around distracts the driver and puts everyone in the vehicle at risk, according to KidsHealth.

    Follow the Rules in Every Vehicle

    • Your child will eventually ride in vehicles with other parents, making it important that you instruct him to follow the rules that you have developed in every vehicle. Even if other passengers or the parents do not follow your rules, teach your child that it is important that he does. If your child is asked to sit in the front seat of someone else's vehicle, he should decline and ask to sit in the back, suggests KidsHealth. He should also avoid vehicles that are not equipped with the right safety equipment, even when on a short ride.

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