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We all know that getting our kids to listen can be a challenge. There are times you lose the battle, but as long as you win the war, right? One of the battles you really can’t afford to lose is the battle to buckle up. Not only is it a lifesaver in a car crash, but it will keep them safe in all those little “road skirmishes” most of us deal with on a regular basis. Kids who buckle up as soon as they get in the car, every time, will develop that habit, and it will be one that they won’t break as they get older and start driving on their own- so start young, and never let that one go.
Parenting a tween involves compromise. But here’s one rule that should not be up for debate – the car doesn’t move until everyone is wearing a seat belt. If you say it, and if parents buckle up themselves, your tween will buckle up. And if they don’t, that’s a fight worth having. It might just save your tween’s life.
Did you know that motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children age 1 to 14 in the USA? Over the past 5 years, 1,522 kids ages 8-14 died in car, SUV and van crashes. Of those who died, almost half were unbelted. As children get older they’re less likely to buckle up. The percentage of child passengers who die while riding unrestrained generally increases with age and is most pronounced among 13 and 14-year-olds regardless of seating position.
Have you heard of the Ad Council and The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) campaign “Never Give Up Until They Buckle Up” , which asks parents to make sure their kids are consistently and properly wearing their seat belt every time the car is moving.
When To Move From The Booster to a Seat Belt?
“When Is My Child Ready for An Adult Seat Belt?” –
Learn when to transition your child out of the booster seat to a seat belt and find out how it should properly fit.
Seat belt safety should be non-negotiable.
Compromise elsewhere. Really hate cabbage? Sure, skip it. Want ice cream for breakfast on occasion? It never killed anyone. Headed just down the street and don’t want to buckle up? Forget about it. As a parent, sometimes you let your kids have their way. But their safety should never be up for negotiation, no matter how much they push back on the seat belts being uncomfortable or unnecessary for just a “short” drive.
You are your child’s #1 influence on using a seat belt- so practice what you preach, and buckle up yourself, mom and dad. Buckling-up is an important habit to instill in children at a young age. Parents can lead by example by wearing a seat belt themselves and by insisting on seat belt use.
Seat belts and safety seats, if used correctly, dramatically reduce the risk of fatality or injury to children. However, research shows, in 2012, over one third (37%) of children killed in car crashes were not in car seats or wearing seat belts. Don’t let your family be a statistic.
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