| Kids are rambunctious. Not only can they by | | | | the road or off of the roadway completely |
| hyper, but combine this energy balled up into the | | | | before addressing the issue. |
| back seat of your vehicle, and it could spell | | | | If your children are old enough, make sure that |
| disaster for any parent who is untrained in the art | | | | they understand the rules and regulations for |
| of driving with children. How often have you | | | | riding around in your vehicle. For example, before |
| driven down the road and witnessed a mother or | | | | we would leave to go anywhere, my mother |
| father driving a minivan while half of their body is | | | | would always make sure that everyone in the car |
| turned in their seat in the opposite direction of | | | | had their seat belts on. If we were in her car and |
| where their eyes should be focused? A few | | | | were still parked in the driveway, this would be |
| weeks ago, I sat at a stoplight and watched as a | | | | our first clue that someone didn't have their seat |
| middle-aged woman almost drove her van full of | | | | belt on. My mother would sit there without saying |
| bouncy children right through a stop sign simply | | | | a word; she would just give us a look that meant |
| because her attention was just a little too | | | | business as we scrambled to match the belt |
| focused on what the children were doing in the | | | | buckles of our safety belts. |
| back seat. | | | | A telling example of driving with children was |
| Naturally, when you are a parent (especially a new | | | | when my brother was younger. He must have |
| parent), you want to make sure that your | | | | been five or six years old at the time and we |
| children are always kept safe. Ironically, however, | | | | were just coming back from a friend's house |
| many parents go against this train of thought | | | | during the summer. As my mom was driving us |
| when they are overprotective of their children by | | | | back to our house, I was sitting in the front seat |
| checking in on them every two seconds while | | | | and could recall seeing my brother fiddling around |
| driving. These types of parents have failed to | | | | in the back seat of the car. The next thing I |
| realize that by constantly taking their attention off | | | | heard was the door opening up. I turned around |
| of the road and refocusing it on their kids, they | | | | to see my brother, with his seat belt still on, |
| are putting not only themselves but their children | | | | leaning half way out of the back door. I was going |
| as well into harms way. When you are behind the | | | | to say something to my mother, but she had |
| wheel of a car and you are chauffeuring children | | | | already seen it before I did and stopped the car, |
| around, the kids have to come second. If there is | | | | jumping out to shut my brother's door. Thankfully, |
| something serious happening with one of your | | | | we were driving relatively slowly through our own |
| children while you are driving, or if you really need | | | | neighborhood, and additionally, my brother was |
| to discipline your children, wait until it is safe to do | | | | buckled into his seat- another good reason to |
| so and then pull your vehicle over to the side of | | | | wear your seat belt! |