The back-to-school routine and morning commute can always feel hectic. Car accidents in Homestead and across southern Florida often occur during the morning commute, thanks to a combination of distraction, fatigue, rushing, and the general chaos of the morning hour. This year, the back-to-school driving routine can become even riskier because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because:
Child passengers face some unique risks when it comes to Homestead car accidents. The smaller bodies of children are more likely to be adversely affected by crashes and children have little say about who drives them. Parents have a responsibility to ensure those who transport their children are safe.
Moreover, parents have a duty to teach car safety early. Children start learning about road safety long before they apply for a driver’s permit at age 16. Kids also need to learn how to stay safe around cars so they can safely navigate being a pedestrian. Here’s how you can make sure your children grow up ready to live near cars:
Long before your children are old enough to drive in Hollywood, they will be in cars, being ferried to and from school and activities. They are still at risk of car accidents. Even more importantly, children are watching everything—including the driving habits of the adults who drive them around. They are forming their ideas of what driving should look like.
For these reasons, it’s imperative that you talk to your children about road safety, even if their sixteenth birthday is still a long way off. Some of the topics you should cover include:
At this time of year, parents and families are getting ready for back to school, and that means school buses. While school buses are generally safe, they are involved in traffic collisions which can cause devastating injuries.
In Hollywood and other communities, pedestrian accidents are actually more likely with school buses. The greatest moments of danger for children are when they are disembarking or boarding the bus. There are a few ways you can help keep your kids safe:
Parents often rely on cars to get children to school, appointments, and activities. In fact, most children in Hollywood and South Florida are driven around in cars every day. Parents may not consider it, but for many kids this is the most dangerous activity they take part in.
Car accidents in Hollywood and other communities can cause serious injuries and fatalities to child passengers. Since children are smaller and are still growing, serious injuries can affect them and their development more than similar injuries might affect adults.
You may think your children are too young to talk to about car safety before the age of 16 or so, but it is one of the most important conversations you will have with your kids, regardless of their age. The reality is that long before your children have their learner’s permit, they will be driven around by other people, including family, friends, babysitters, and more. They are still at risk of auto accidents, long before they can drive. In fact, car accidents in Hollywood and other South Florida communities are a leading cause of injuries and fatalities involving children.
Of course, the adults in your child’s life have a responsibility to keep your child safe. However, it’s never too early to start teaching your children a healthy respect for cars and teaching them the good habits they will need for the rest of their life. From an early age, you will want to talk to them about several topics:
Halloween driving can put pedestrians at risk. On Halloween, children may be running around trick or treating or enjoying the holiday. That, combined with parties on October 31, can create the risk of pedestrian accidents in Homestead and other cities.
Whether you have children or not, there are several things you can do to reduce your risk of traffic collisions:
Kids have a fascination with trucks and one way to encourage their interest is with truck shows. Truck shows feature the latest vehicles as well as impressive stunts. Many cater to kids, with children’s activities and even toys.
Truck shows can be a fun excursion for the whole family and a way to spend time together, but it’s important to keep safety in mind. Serious injuries have occurred at truck shows due to the speed and impact of the trucks involved. To prevent childhood injuries in Homestead and your community, follow these tips:
In Hollywood and across South Florida, car accidents are an obvious and frequent cause of injury. Children who are in a car injured in a car collision can suffer from many types of serious and life-threatening injuries. However, a vehicle doesn’t have to be on the road for it to pose serious risks to a child.
Some of the less known risks to kids in vehicles include:
Each year, up to 20 people across the country die because they are trapped in the trunk of a car. Most of these incidents occur either with children playing around a car and getting stuck in the trunk or occur because a child or adult is placed in the trunk of a car during a crime.
Since 2002, it has been mandatory for cars to have trunk release handles inside the car’s trunk and by law these trunk releases must be glow-in-the-dark. Older cars may not have this feature. If you have an older car, you may be able to get a retrofit kit to make your trunk safer. Beyond this step, there are other things you can do to prevent trunk entrapment:
Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog