Driving With Children Isn't the Easiest of Tasks, Here's What You Should Keep in Mind

One of the most dangerous driving behaviours that you may ignore

Dopamine and Monoamine Oxidase (MAO) is a biological factor which determines an individual’s speeding obsession whether that person is a man or a woman. Because it contains dopamine that is known to be a rewarding chemical related to the creation of the feeling of pleasure in the brain. And the more thrilling an action a person does, the more dopamine will be created in that person’s brain. Therefore, if anyone has a low level of MAO, he or she may have a tendency of joining reckless behaviour like speeding in order to seek for pleasure. Besides, it is more dangerous when most people often drive at high speed and using their phones (e.g. texting, answering phone calls, etc.). However, there is another hazardous behaviour that, mostly, parents often do which is 12 times more dangerous than speeding and using mobile phones. That is driving with children, which many people still think it is a normal situation.

Taking your eyes off the roads for moments is very dangerous

Also read - The Ultimate Car Tips For Parents With Little Kids

Why driving with children is extremely dangerous

You may wonder why driving with innocent kids may lead to dangers. However, if you think carefully about the consequences of having a child in your car, you will know the reasons. To be specific, think of these following behaviours:

• Turning around to pick up something for a crying kid sitting on the rear seat;

• Staring at a screaming child to warn it to stop doing bad behaviours;

• Simply, tickling a kid.

You might think driving with kids will do no harm, but you may change your mind

The numbers speak the truth

Now, suppose that you are driving at the speed of 60 - 80 km/h, and you take your eyes off the roads for seconds. As a consequence, a severe accident is likely to occur and you as well as the kids will be in danger. Monash University Accident Research Centre has found that, averagely, during a 16-minute trip with their child, parents look away from the road for approximately 3 minutes, 22 seconds. In other words, they lose their concentration on the roads up to 21% which is 12 times the time people get distracted by phones in their cars. Therefore, you may be very lucky when not facing an accident; however, don’t take this for granted because we will never know what happens in another glimpse of an eye.

Monash University also applied a “discrete recording system” (hidden cameras) in a study to observe the driving behaviours of 12 various families for over three weeks. The parents were supposed to have averagely two children ranging from one to eight years old. The point of the research is to find out the times the parents taking their eyes off the roads while the cars were moving. After the study, Judith Charlton, Associate Professor, stated that the scariest thing found was although the parents were aware of other causes of distractions such as phones, most of them did not see their children as a distraction, which is potentially dangerous. Also, 90 of the 92 analysed trips showed that the parents were caught losing their focus on the road, and 76.4% of the cases were due to turning back or checking the rear mirror to watch their children.

What to do to keep your children calm

1. Try to make your children comfortable

Do these things to make sure your kids are comfortable:

• Find the proper car seats for your children and install the seats firmly onto the rear seats;

• Kids get sweaty very fast, so dress them appropriately and adjust the air conditioner properly;

• Straps should be tightened enough for safety, but not too tight which may make them uncomfortable.

Also read - How to drive safely with kids in car?

Make your child as comfortable as possible

2. Books and toys

Small board books or those that have finger puppets, music, or lift-the-flap elements are excellent things to keep your children calm in car. Besides, adding some toys for your kids also help.

3. Turn on your baby's favourite songs

Let your children listen to various kinds of music to find out which they love. Normally, they will like ones for children like Baby Shark; however, there might be exceptions which your baby may like Mozart’s symphonies.

Turn on your kid's favourite song to calm him/her

4. If your voice is good (or bad), then sing!

Singing can help your child calm, but don't turn around and clap your hands like the woman above

If turning on your baby’s favourite does not help, your voice may. Even if your voice is thought to be disastrous, remember that every child loves their mothers’ voices. Therefore, raise your voice and sing the funniest children song you know! And this will also help you reduce pressure.

5. Healthy snacks

Having children’s snacks in your car can make your kids busy eating and won’t likely do sudden screams. However, they will probably make some crumbs, but crumbs are always better than a screaming child.

Kids will be busy eating snacks, which can prevent their sudden screams

6. Get help from grandparents or your best friends!

Call your mom, dad, or any friend and ask them to talk with your child so that you can concentrate on driving. Whenever you are lack of ideas to say with your kids, calling another person through social media will help. The kids will surely love the conversation, especially when it’s a video call.

7. Rear seat companion

When you drive with another adult, asking he or she to sit next to and play with your children. This will get your kids entertained and give you a lot of relief.

8. Give your child a smartphone/tablet

Although some may say you should not let babies using smartphones, those devices are one of the best ways to keep your children calm and stop screaming. Let them using them for a couple of minutes before you get to your destination.

Letting kids use a smart phone is also a good way to make them calm during the drive

9. Let your children watch movies/cartoons

If there is a TV screen in your car, let your kids watch some films or children music videos. The kids will stay focus on the screen and won’t bother you.

10. Drive at the proper time

When your child is in its deep sleep, everything will be easier

If your children feel best after an excellent nap at home or with a full belly, make sure you let them sleep and eat before a trip. Furthermore, in case your children love to sleep in your car, try to make him comfortably take a nap in it, things will be fine

Above, we have provided you with detailed guidelines on driving with kids. Hope that the tips can help you have a pleasant and safe journey with your beloved children. 

Read more tips and guides from IndianAuto

The Ultimate Car Tips For Parents With Little Kids

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