Insurance and Finance

Summer Car Safety

By Kristy Alpert 7.23.14

From the peaceful hum of the engine lulling your kids to sleep after a day in the sun to the cool breeze of the air conditioner preserving your cool through the hot summer months, driving a well-kept car in summer can almost make you forget about the potential dangers of owning a vehicle.

Everyone knows you shouldn’t leave children or pets locked in a car — Safekids.org estimates that an average of one child every 10 days dies from heatstroke in a vehicle — especially during a Texas summer, but there are other hidden dangers lurking in the heated lairs of your automobile. Here are a few tips on how to keep your youngest passengers safe this summer.

Summer Car Safety

  1. Avoid the stowaways. Check and double check that your child is safely in the home or at their destination before assuming the car is empty. Kids have been known to use cars as a playground and hideout.
  2. Test it first. Leather seats and metal buckles can get hot enough to burn skin in the summer, so always do a quick touch test first to make sure they’re not overheated before strapping your children in.
  3. Stay hydrated. Texas summers are hot, and when your child says he or she is thirsty, it may already be too late. Dehydration is a real danger, so make sure to have plenty of water on hand in the car to hydrate to and from your destination.
  4. Play it safe. Always have a first-aid kit in the car, but during the summer months, load it up with essentials like sunscreen, bug spray, Neosporin, and more.