As the Holidays approach I think of happy times with family, but I can’t help but think about our safety as we drive to holiday get togethers. I feel confident when I get into my car knowing that I have adequate auto insurance, my family is ALL using their seat belts, and that my car seats are properly installed. Sadly, I still feel that I have to be a little more alert because we DO live in Las Vegas, a 24 hour city, and we have to worry about the choices that EVERYONE else on the road made before starting their cars.
Recently there was a story on the news about toddlers actually falling out of a car as it was driving! There were 10 perople in a PT Cruiser! 7 kids, 3 adults, nobody was wearing seat belts, NONE of the 7 kids were in car seats, and the driver was drunk! So many bad decisions were obviously made that night. This type of thing probably happens more than we think, minus the kids falling out of the car, and maybe even without the DUI.
An average year in Nevada 1 in 98 Licensed Drivers is arrested for DUI- Alchol or Drugs. Information provided courtesy of Nevada DPS- Office of Traffic Safety
Sometimes people will think that it is ok to cram a few extra people in the car just because they are going a short distance, or so they won’t have to make a second trip. An accident is just that, an ACCIDENT. You don’t get to pick when it happens, who is with you when it happens, or if you happened to buckle up or put your kids in car seats before it happens. Make it a point to be safe every time you start your car. We have seat belts and car seats for a reason, and our family and our children are simply too precious to risk by not using them every time.
Keep an eye on my blog, we’re doing an event with Terrible Herbst soon. We will offer free carseat checks to make sure that you have the proper seat for your kids and that it is properly installed. Here are some basics on Nevada Car Seat Guidelines:
These information cards are the size of a business card and they are available in our office. We offer New Parent Kits as well, stop by and pick one up. They are FREE and include Child Identification Fingerprint Kits, Car Seat and Bicycle Safety Information, Baby on Board Stickers, and a Booklet on Driving Safely with some extremely valuable tips inside.
We also have the MILK Digital ID Software (Managing Information on Lost Kids, the first step in an Amber Alert). This free software helps keep your children’s most recent information available if needed. If you’re planning an event and this information would benefit your attendees or you would like us to help you plan an event, please call me at 702-630-7283.
Have a safe holiday season and remember to buckle up, it saves lives! 😉