Simple Things You Can Do Today To Protect Your Children (Part 3 in a series)

Look more carefully at your child's car seat.


I'm not talking about the actual safety factors of your children's car seats, although that is clearly very important. I'm instead asking you to look at the car seat's safety beyond that of the car.

I'm pretty sure we are all aware of how the car seat protects children in an accident. This is what they are for, but what happens after an accident is just as important as what happens during the accident.

EMT personnel remove your child, while still in the car seat, from the vehicle involved in an accident.

This is for the protection of your child but also gives you an opportunity to protect your child.

If you (or the driver) was injured or even killed in an accident would your child be able to give important information to the emergency personnel? Could they say his or her name clearly? What about the address, emergency contact information or, more importantly, if they are allergic to any medications? Of course not and I'm not suggesting that you expect your child to do so. I am suggesting we think of the car seat as a communication device.

If you or the driver are ever hurt in an accident you can protect your children by giving the EMT personnel and law enforcement important information about your child right on the back of the car seat. This information could possibly save your child's life if they were hurt, but also it limits the time the child needs to be outside of the care of people you know and trust.

Take two note cards and write the following information on it:

- Child's full name
- Emergency contact information of at least two people (at least one local person). Make sure to include addresses and home and cellphone numbers labeling them.
- Important medical information such as allergies, local doctors, and current medications.
- Things that you think might help the person who will be taking care of your children until your emergency contacts can get there. Example: Nicknames of the child, talking points (even if your child can't speak) such as favorite pet's names, and the child's favorite type of animal (often teddy bears are given to kids during these times and if the police know that your child loves cats they might be able to find a stuffed one).

Place both cards in an envelope labeled "Emergency Contact Information" and tape it to the back of the child's car seat or underneath for boaster seats. Why two cards? Why not just tape the information to the car seat? Because this allows two people to have the information without things getting mixed up in the rewriting. Emergency personnel can have one and so can the person looking for your child's emergency contact.

If you think your child will be fine without this information and they still can't legally ride without a boaster or car seat, you need to do it anyway.

This information should be up-date each time your child out grows a car seat or on your child's birthday.

Each car seat, each car. Information is everything.