Choose Your Child's Drivers Carefully The Toronto Star Wheels - 08/25/01 It’s summertime and that means the kids are out of school and on the move. Whether it’s a trip to the beach, a play date at a friend’s house or movies with the gang, someone usually has to drive the kids to all these destinations. But parents should keep in mind that motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death and injuries for Canadian children. So, just exactly who is chauffeuring your children around town, and how safe is it for your child to be a passenger in someone else’s car? Although you may be a very conscientious driver, the person you’re entrusting your child to may not share your safe driving habits. A study conducted last year by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and Ford Motor Co. analyzed actual crash data to evaluate the safety performance of drivers transporting children. After categorizing drivers into groups based on gender and age, relative to the age of their child passengers, the study found that older female drivers, (those 44 years or more older than the children), had the best safety record. While parent-age drivers had a better record than younger or peer drivers, overall, male drivers in each of the categories had poorer safety ratings than their female counterparts in the same group. But perhaps more importantly, the study highlighted behaviors associated with particular groups that elevated the risk to child passengers. For parent-age drivers, unrestrained children and overloaded vehicles were frequently an issue. Some drivers are simply lax about such things. Others, in an effort to fit everybody in and save someone else from having to drive, allow kids to double up in seatbelts, ride unrestrained in cargo area, or be held by adults. But knowing that the proper use of child restraints can prevent over 70 per cent of car accident deaths and injuries, parents must ensure that their children are properly seated and obeying the rules - no matter who’s driving. When an alternate driver pulls into your driveway, take note: Does the car itself appear physically sound? Is it overloaded with cargo or loose items that could strike a passenger during a collision or sudden stop? Is the driver wearing a seatbelt? If not, it’s unlikely passengers will be made to wear one. A simple call to the babysitter, day care center or school should clear up any concerns regarding driver qualifications, vehicles, car seats, even insurance. Although you may feel uncomfortable questioning other adults about driving arrangements, most will welcome your concern. Anyone who is evasive or nonchalant, “Oh, we’ll fit them all in somehow.” is perhaps not suitable for the job. And alcohol only exacerbates the problem. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that as the blood alcohol level of the child’s driver increased, child restraint use decreased. Their report, published last year in the Journal of American Medical Association, also revealed that 64 per cent of the children killed in alcohol-related crashes were riding in the car with the intoxicated driver. That fact alone is reason enough for parents to insist that the person transporting their children refrain from consuming any alcohol. While you may not have a problem with another adult chauffeuring your children, you may want to reconsider letting your teenager catch a ride in a car full of kids, with another teen at the wheel. Researchers at John Hopkins School of Public Health concluded that the more passengers there are in a car driven by a 16 -17 year old, the higher the death rate for the driver. And the Ford/University of Michigan study found that peer drivers were behind the wheel in about 70% of all crashes that fatally injured 14 to 15 year old passengers. Such startling statistics are the reason why some graduated licensing programs impose passenger restrictions on new drivers. Although Ontario laws only restrict front seat passengers for G1 drivers, parents can certainly establish their own rules for their teen drivers and passengers. (See Sidebar) WHAT PARENTS CAN DO Establish clear rules for your children, such as no riding in the back of pickup trucks, or sharing seatbelts. Verify substitute drivers have enough seating, as well as correctly installed car seats, for every passenger. Realize that some temporary caregivers may simply not be aware of potential problems. Drivers unaccustomed to child passengers might not know the safest place for children 12 and under is buckled up in the back seat, not up front where there are passenger-side air bags A used car seat bought by well-intentioned grandparents at a garage sale may be too old to comply with current safety standards, defective from a previous crash, or installed incorrectly (Transport Canada studies found that as many as 60 per cent of all car seats weren’t installed properly. Check with local police, fire, or health departments about free car seat inspections clinics.). Listen to your children’s comments about their outing and ask questions. You may be unpleasantly surprised: "It was fun; I sat on Cameron’s lap the whole way." "Sandy’s dad drank beer at the picnic table while we played on the swings." Find out how long your teen’s friends have had their licence. Set curfews and physical boundaries (No driving outside of town) and specify whom they’re allowed, and not allowed, to ride with and the maximum number of passengers. Let children know that if there’s ever a problem, regardless of the circumstances, they can always call home and you will pick them up, or arrange safe alternate transportation.
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