traveling this holiday season? check out these safety tips

For most, the holidays are going to look a little bit different this year, and that is okay. For those of you traveling, let’s make sure you get there safely. Although holiday traveling may not be the same, the consequences from distracted driving remain.  “At Dayton Children’s we saw 461 injuries related to motor vehicle crashes in 2020 and 529 injuries so far in 2021. Reducing distraction is one way to prevent some of these injuries,” says Alexa Wene, injury prevention coordinator for child passenger safety at Dayton Children’s Hospital. 

Most people perceive themselves as good drivers, yet in 2019 alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) 3,142 people were killed due to distracted driving. Locally, the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission reports from 2017 to 2019 there was one fatal crash every five days in the Dayton region. It’s easy to become distracted while driving but it can quickly turn into a fatal situation.

Taking your eyes off the road for even five seconds amounts to driving the entire length of a football field with your eyes closed."

Distracted driving not only impacts you; it impacts your friends, family and community.

what is considered distracted driving?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers distracted driving as “any activity that takes the driver’s attention away from driving. Distracted driving includes cell phone use and other activities such as eating, talking to other passengers, or adjusting radio or climate controls.” 

Main types of distracted driving 

• Taking your eyes off the road
• Taking your hands off the steering wheel
• Taking your mind off driving

While many states have laws in place to reduce distracted driving, it is still a major public health concern.

Here are some tips from Safe Kids Worldwide that you can take with you while holiday traveling this year:

• Keep an eye out for distracted pedestrians and drivers who may not be paying attention to you, especially when backing out of parking spaces. Shopping center parking lots are busier during the holidays.
• Remind your teen driver to be extra alert during this holiday season, when conditions are more challenging even for experienced drivers.
• Make sure you are not distracted while driving. Commit to keeping your phone down. No text message or play list is worth the risk.

Furthermore, we also want to make sure we are safe in the car before we travel. Safe Kids offers these tips before leaving for the holidays this year:

• Car seat check- Is your car seat installed correctly? So far in 2021, Dayton Children’s has seen a car seat misuse rate of 70%. If you do not know or are concerned about your child’s car seat installation, make an appointment to get it checked. For Dayton Children’s car seat check appointment dates check out our website here.
• Car check- make sure to get your car checked for any safety issues before you start the drive.
• Emergency preparedness- make sure you are prepared for any weather emergencies; pack extra blankets, food and diapers, in case your car is stuck in snow or disabled. Keep your cell phone charged, make sure someone knows your route, and clear the exhaust of packed snow.

Use this checklist from Safe Kids Worldwide before heading out for any holiday travel. Stay safe and enjoy the holiday season!