All (or almost all) of us are aware of the importance of having our children properly seated in a child restraint system appropriate to their weight and height. In addition, there are more and more parents who opt for back-up chairs, knowing that they are the safest way for children to travel.
However, there is something that many people do not know or do not take into account, and it is the importance of travel with the car interior cleared of packages, or, failing that, correctly subject, because in case of accident or sudden braking they become dangerous projectiles that can cause serious injuries or even death. Today we review this important advice from the DGT to travel safely.
A danger that many do not know
When we got in the car It is very common to leave on the floor of the vehicle or in seats that are not occupied, objects such as bags, umbrellas, briefcases, school bags, water bottles or even folded baby carriages.
But this daily practice can have fatal consequences, although according to a study carried out by Volkswagen and which was also echoed by the DGT, only half of the drivers know the risks involved.
And in case of collision or braking driving at 50 km / h, the weight of loose packages inside the car can be multiplied by 30 or 40."Thus, a bag of five kilos and 80 centimeters wide would have an impact force of 60 kilos, an umbrella of 415 grams would weigh five kilos, a mobile phone of about 150 grams would be projected with a force of 1.5 kilos or a suitcase of 10 kilos would become a heavy object of 560 kilos ", experts warn in this RACE publication.
The DGT also warns of other dangerous practices, such as removing the luggage compartment tray, folding down the rear seats to facilitate a greater load of luggage and, of course, taking our pet loose inside the car.
Watch out for tablets too!
Sometimes we can also fall into the error of offering children tablets, mobiles, books or any other object of distraction that entertains them during the trip, especially when it comes to long journeys.
However, and according to what we have just seen, in case of sudden deceleration or collision at an average speed of 60 km / h, a tablet or an iPad with an average weight of approximately 400 grams, could become a deadly weapon, when leaving projected and hitting the child with a weight equivalent to 22 kilos.
It is vitally important that parents take this information into account and use homologated and suitable fastening systems to the vehicle to properly secure these objects to the car seat, so that the child never carries DVD players, screens or tablets in the hand .
Security advice
In Babies and More we are very aware of the safety of children on the road, and recently we published a guide of basic tips for the use of chairs, as well as very important recommendations to take into account in case of older children.
In Babies and moreChairs for the car: the basic information that every parent should knowHowever, at this point, we believe that it does not hurt Make a brief review of the most basic safety measures that we must adopt when traveling by car; taking into account that these must be applied in both long trips and short trips.
And there is the mistaken belief of thinking that nothing can happen on urban roads or short routes, but according to DGT statistics, it is precisely on these routes when most accidents occur.All luggage must go in the trunk, and with the upper tray correctly positioned. Leaving loose objects inside the car (however small they may seem) is not only dangerous, as we have just seen, but it can increase the driver's distraction.
Yes there are small objects that we need to have on hand during the trip, we must store them correctly in the glove boxes and different slides that have been distributed throughout the car's interior.
In case of long trips it is essential to make frequent stops, and have easy access in the trunk to the things that our baby may need during the stops, such as change clothes, toiletries, food or toys.
Children must travel in a SRI approved and appropriate to its weight and size, preferably up to four years, and always in the back seat of the vehicle. In addition, we must ensure that the chairs are properly anchored to the car seat.
In Babies and more i-Size Chairs: everything you need to know about their classification and useThe seat belts and chair harnesses they must be well fastened, adjusted to the body, correctly guided and not twisted.
Travel without the coat on.
The DGT also advises that although we do not carry anything in the back seat, we should fasten the seat belts, because in the event of a collision this measure It will prevent the cargo we carry in the trunk from passing into the car's cabin.
Photos | iStock
