Planning a road trip this summer? Going away on a road trip is on the agenda for many vacationers this summer. A great opportunity to explore new idyllic parts of the country and spend more time with your family. To make sure both you and your child have an enjoyable and safe journey we recommend five simple steps for you to follow.
1. Check the installation of the car seat
No matter how safe a car seat is, it will not work as intended if it is not installed the right way. Studies show that many child car seats are installed incorrectly, which will endanger the child’s safety. Therefore you should check that the seat is correctly in place on the back seat and if you are using a belt attached car seat make sure the self-tightening tether straps are tightly secured. Loose straps need to be tightened.
When you are using our Minikid seat you can simply wiggle the seat in place. For ISOfix seats, make sure the anti-rotation bar sits firmly to the backseat and the support leg is in the correct position.
2. Make your child sit comfortable in the car seat
If your trip is going to be a long one, it is important to give your child full comfort and support for optimal protection. The headrest should be in the correct position and the safety harness firmly attached over your child’s shoulders. Also, make sure your child sits comfortably in their seat. It can be very tempting to sit in a more tilted and relaxed position, however it is important your child sits more upright. By sitting more upright you protect your little one’s spine by spreading the force of impact across the entire body. And as a bonus, you will get more space in the car.
Getting the right angle can be tricky, but when your child’s head rests on the back of the headrest when sleeping, you know you are doing it right. On many child car seats you can adjust the angle of the seat. If your backseat is very tilted, an angle adjusting wedge can help you find the correct angle.
3. Keep your child cool
Going away on a road trip on a hot summer day can be both fun and challenging at the same time. Especially when smaller children and babies are more sensitive to heatstroke and therefore it is important to keep them cool. For a much easier (we all know that complaining children can ruin even a short trip) and comfortable journey for your child, we suggest you use window sunshades. The sunshades will avoid sunshine exposure and slow down the toasting. It is also possible to place a summer cover on the seat to reduce exposure from the sun.
We recommend using a summer cover made of cotton, bamboo or similar materials instead of nylon (not as comfortable to sit on) to help keep the seat nice and cool. The summer cover is also perfect for protecting your seat from stains and is easy to remove and wash. Before you head out don’t forget to turn on the air-conditioning before you are buckling up your child:)
4. Maintaining a clean seat
Stains and mess is part of family life. To avoid annoying stains from all those ice creams and snacks use a seat protection which is easy to take off and wash. The seat protection protects your car upholstery from wear and dirt. Most of the seat covers have storage compartments and an Ipad holder, which can be useful for entertainment, but watch out for car sickness! Apart from the seat protection, it is always a good idea to keep spare towels and baby wipes to clean up both small and bigger messes. Do not forget to bring a spare outfit for your child since spills and accidents do occur!
5. Avoiding car sickness
If your child experiences nausea and dizziness it is important to travel as comfortably as possible. A number of ways will minimize the risk of car sickness. The feeling of unwellness will diminish when you adjust your child’s car seat to a more tilted and relaxed position. Also, make sure your children sit higher up so that they can see the horizon through the windshield. Playing video games or using tablets can trigger car sickness. Therefore entertain your children and keep them busy with activities that stop them from looking downwards. It will also help a lot if your child is eating less heavy content meals as well as getting some fresh air. Also, install a mirror to stay in contact with your child during the ride.
Here is a longer list of tips to avoid car sickness in the car.
Keep in mind that young children should not travel longer than a few hours in a row when sitting in a car. Therefore stop often and have plenty of patience.
Have a great summer and safe travels!
Greetings from The Axkid family
