Traveling with children posses many challenges. From car seats to entertainment, preparing for a long road trip with a youngster can be difficult. If you’re about to embark on a road trip with a young child, don’t despair – there are plenty of things that you can do to make your road trip safer and more enjoyable – for everyone involved.
First Things First – Safety
The first rule of child proofing your car is to look for hazards. Make sure certain chemicals are out of the child’s reach and that there are no choking hazards present. Next, it’s time to find a car seat that adjusts to your New England car rental. Most car rental companies offer car seat rentals – for more information on car seat rentals from VERC Car Rentals, please call 1-800-696-VERC.
When you pick up your rental car seat, make sure you take the time to read the user’s manual that comes with it. Make sure that the seat is acceptable based on your child’s age, weight, and height. If you’re unfamiliar with the car seat, make sure you stop and ask one of VERC’s New England car rental attendants to provide you with a demo on how to install the seat and use it. Remember, your child seat should always be in the backseat and properly fastened.
Keep ‘Em Occupied
A fussy child can cause quite the distraction in the back of your New England car rental, consequently putting both your lives at risk. The solution? Keep your child occupied with road trip ready toys and activities. From iPods and books to DVD players and stuffed animals, there’s no shortage of kid-friendly distractions out there. Not up on the latest technology? No worries – there are plenty of old fashioned word games and backseat trivia challenges worth playing too. Popular options include “Eating an Alphabet” (participants need to finish the sentence, “I’m so hungry I could eat an…” starting with the letter A), and “Billboard Poetry” which involves creating a rhyming, four-line poem using billboard verbiage.
Limit Loose Objects
Packing your New England car rental for a family vacation can be quite tricky – kind of like fitting together pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When arranging your trunk and backseat, take a moment to consider how these items might shift during an accident. Even something as seemingly harmless as a pen can cause serious damage, both to your car rental and your child.
Granted, traveling with a child pretty much guarantees that you’ll be traveling with a larger collection of stuff. However, you can still be smart about what you pack, and where in your New England car rental you pack it. Soft toys can be kept in the back seat, but hardcover books or plastic toys should be kept in a suitcase and stowed under the seat or in the trunk.
Set Some Ground Rules
Setting and following rules for car safety are essential, and not just for your children. Everyone in your New England car rental should be made aware of basic road trip rules. The most important rule? The car doesn’t move until everyone is properly buckled in. Not only does this set a good example, but it will also ensure that all occupants are safe during transit. You may also wish to restrict what your children have access to in your New England car rental. Explain to your children that your car rental isn’t a toy, therefore they shouldn’t play with any of the buttons for the door locks or windows. If your child becomes upset during the drive, don’t try to resolve the conflict on the road. Pull over to a safe area and attend to the child.
A child-friendly New England car rental is key when embarking on a family vacation. For more information on how to child-proof your rental, simply consult with one of our rental agents. We’re always happy to help.
Tags: New England car rental
