Safety Tips for Carpooling Small Children

Carpooling is a great idea in many respects; it saves gas, it helps other mothers and fathers have a little more time in their day and you get to use the carpool lane. Graco, one of the leading manufacturers of children's safety gear and other products, has released a list of helpful tips for carpoolers. Here is an overview of those tips.

The first tip is regarding safety restraints for each age level. Children under four should use a car seat with a back on it. Children who are age four to seven should ride in a booster seat that positions the seat belt correctly. Children who are who over seven and under twelve should be seated in the back seats with a seat belt. This is not only great advice; it is the law in many states.

These restraint tips will not be as useful if you don't know how to properly install them in your car. Read all manufacturers guidelines and if you are confused, contact your local police or fire station, they will often give demonstrations for free.

Doors should be locked at all times while the car is in motion in order to avoid the chance that someone could open the door. Also, windows should never be any further than half way down. Children are curious, so make sure there is no way that they could get out of the car while it is in motion.

The final tip that Graco has given is not regarding restraints or in-car safety, but it is one that far too many people overlook. You should have an information sheet in your car for each child. This sheet should include contact information for each parent, medical information and anything else first responders might need in case of an emergency.