Our top tips for driving with kids

We want your driving experience to be enjoyable, but also safe, so here are our top tips for driving with kids.

• Our first, and most important, tip is safety. If you’re driving with children under the age of 12, or under 135cm in height, you are legally responsible for ensuring that they are seated in a baby or child car seat. There are a range of child car seats available, but whichever one you choose must be suitable for your child’s weight and size. They also must conform to regulations and ideally should be fitted by a trained car seat fitter.


• Another important safety factor is the health and condition of your vehicle. Ensure your vehicle’s health is up to date with its annual MOT and services. You can also carry out regular checks yourself between these services, especially in winter.


• If you’re planning a longer journey, the best thing to do is plan ahead. Check your route and opt for the safest route over the fastest. Breaks are important not only for the driver to have a rest, but also for your passengers to stretch their legs and have a toilet break.


• Pack plenty of snacks and water to keep hydrated during the trip, especially in sunnier climates.


• It’s safe to say that mobile phones and tablets are a great way to keep kids occupied but keep an eye on the time spent on these devices as they can cause motion sickness over a long period of time. Take the journey as an opportunity to get them away from their phones.


• Breakdowns are never ideal, especially when you’re travelling with children. Make sure you only leave the vehicle when safe to do so and inform the recovery team that you are travelling with children.


• Keep kids entertained. Traditional games such as eye-spy and the licence plate game are oldies but goodies. If they get bored easily or need a time out, pack some reading books or puzzle books. As the driver, try and avoid playing along (we know it’s hard) but the priority is to keep them occupied whilst you concentrate on the road.

So, the next time you’re planning a journey with kids, make sure you remember our tops tips for a fun, safe trip.

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