Four Tips for Holiday Travel With Children
The highways will be crowded this holiday season with drivers making their way to holiday feasts, shopping malls, and family visits. If you're planning a trip with children, Jiffy Lube offers four important tips to help make the drive safe and enjoyable:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends children sit in the back seat and be buckled-up properly.
- Infants (under 20 lbs.) should be in rear-facing convertible seats with harness straps at or below shoulder level.
- Toddlers (20-40 lbs.) should be in forward-facing convertible seats with harness straps at or above shoulders.
- Young children (more than 40 lbs.) should use a forward-facing, belt positioning. booster seat with the lap belt fitting low and tight across the lap/upper thigh area and shoulder belt snug across the chest and shoulder.
One of the best ways to keep your
family safe is to stay awake during your trip. The National Sleep
Foundation and the AAA Foundation recommend the following: Bring along toys, books and video games to keep the kids busy. If
you're planning a long drive, be prepared for frequent bathroom and
food stops.
If your child gets car sick, check with your doctor about possible
medications to bring on your trip. There are other things you can also
do, such as driving at a constant speed, cracking a window, and feeding
children light snacks along the way to prevent the need for a heavy
meal.
- Get a good night's sleep before your trip — at least 8 hours for adults and 8.5 to 9.25 hours for teens.
- Make sure at least one passenger is awake to talk to the driver.
- Avoid medications that can impede performance.
- Recognize signs of fatigue: lane drifting, hitting rumble strips, repeated yawning, tailgating, difficulty focusing.
- Schedule stops every two hours or 100 miles.
We at AskPatty wish you the very happiest holiday season, and safe travels wherever you may go!
