Castletown School of Motoring News A few tips to travel safely while going on Christmas Holidays

A few tips to travel safely while going on Christmas Holidays

As parents we need to be aware of the danger of driving while distracted by children in the car. A study from the RSA showed that children are 12 times more distracting to a driver than talking on a mobile phone while driving. It also found that the average parent takes their eyes off the road for three minutes and 22 seconds during a 16 minutes trip, the average length of a song on the radio. The most frequent types of distractions are:

  • Turning to look at the child in the rear seat,
  • Or watching the rear-view mirror (76.4%);
  • Engaging in conversation with the child (16%);
  • Assisting the child (7%):
  • Or playing with the Children (1%).

As parents we are trying to be good Mammy or Daddy & also a good driver at the same time. We are however contradicting ourselves, as if we allow ourselves to be distracted from the road, we are actually placing our children in greater danger. It can be difficult to not let ourselves respond immediately, as this is our natural instinct as caring parents. However it is important to remind ourselves that the car can be a very dangerous place if you do not drive with full focus dramatic accidents can happen.

To be a good parents we must be good driver. A few tips before you start your journey:

  • Before you start your journey, explain to your children that how important it is that you focus on the road while driving to ensure that everyone will be safe.
  • Ensure that your children are properly restrained in the appropriate car seats and that the car seat is correctly installed in the vehicle (check the user manual if unsure)
  • Ensure that they use the bathroom before starting the journey & if a bathroom break is needed to do so in a safe manner
  • If you are distracted during the journey, pull over in a safe area & address the problem before you drive again.

Overall do not let your children take your focus from the road, to make sure that you & your family will arrive safely to your destination to spend a great Christmas.

 

Thank you for reading our blog.

We are wishing a Merry Christmas to all reader & drive safely if you are travelling

Castletown School of Motoring

ADI: 35 371

Francis