When you are a first-time parent, you can quickly realize there are several products to purchase, even for riding safely in the car.

  • Advice for parents with young children when it comes to driving
  • Seminole County Safety Coalition member says to use pull-down shades for young backseat passengers
  • Don't use mirrors to look at your children in the backseat; eyes front, says member

Jake Trotter from Palm Bay writes in this week:

"I'm a first-time parent and I'm a little flustered by how many products that are in stores that may be unsafe for children. My question to you is, ‘What ... goes in my car’? Are there any products that you recommend avoiding?"

To answer this question, we met with Seminole County Safety Coalition member Robin Butler to get advice about what to leave out of your vehicle. She gave two specific examples of products that are common in vehicles and unsafe enough to re-consider using them.

Her first example was pull-down shades used on the windows next to your car.

"Well, those pull-down shades are held on with your saliva. It's not very strong. So, a better option is to get the ones that cling to your window. There are no heavy parts or anything on it. It's perfectly fine," 

If those shades are held on to the window in a flimsy nature, they could fly off and hit somebody in your car and sometimes with metal parts.

Secondly, she is against having any kind of extraneous mirrors to be able to see your child from the driver's seat.

"Mom and dad, we want you to be looking out ahead of you so that you are a good driver,” said Butler. “And number two, children are going to let you know when they have a need. They are not going to be real quiet about something that is going on with them. And so you just pull off to a safe location."

If you happen to not have your child properly restrained, the head may rise up enough after a hard stop or collision and make contact with the mirror’s face.

At the end of the day, Butler has one rule of thumb when it comes to child safety and your vehicle:

"We tell parents, 'If it didn't come with your vehicle or if you can't buy it with your vehicle as a vehicle part and if it didn't come with your child restraint, you shouldn't use it.'"

And we hope that helps to answer your question. If you at home have a traffic issue you want addressed, let us know about it!

Go to mynews13.com/trafficinbox, and just fill out the simple form.  

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