One of life’s little joys is becoming a parent. It’s also one of life’s little ways to test your stress levels! There are plenty of things to think about before your baby is due. It’s a minefield when you’re looking for the best safety features for a car, and it’s even more pressure when you’re looking for the safest car features because you’ve got a little person to look after. Being a parent is stressful enough, and for those moms and dads in waiting, here is your one stop shop to buying a car that’s safe for your bundles of joy.
Get Something With A Lot Of Space!
If you’re getting rid of your Bugatti, it’s probably because you couldn’t feasibly fit in your child and everything they come with. So space is going to be your ally. Get something like a hatchback because the boot space will be the real life saver for you and it’s cheap. Depending on your budget, you could go for a Volkswagen. They are pretty good for overall space and if you’re leaning towards something with a bit more style. Other options include SUVs or MPVs, and although they will fit in everything your child needs (plus about 400 of their friends), they’re quite expensive to run. Space is most definitely the final frontier, and it needs to be at the forefront of your mind.
What’s Classed As Safe?
No, you can’t just sit them down and put the seatbelt on! Car seatbelts aren’t designed for children at all, so make sure to get the right booster seat for your baby. Always put the car seat in securely to ensure your babies protection. For most babies, the standard baby seat carrier works just fine and fits onto a LATCH base (or ISOFIX if you’re in Europe). Having a secure base isn’t required by law everywhere just yet, but for peace of mind, you’d be stupid not to get one. And remember; don’t put the baby in the front seat. The safest place to put them is in the back seat on one side, not in the middle. The seat needs to be positioned so the baby is looking out the rear window, and always put the car seat in. It could be tempting to just strap them in if you’re going on a short journey, but don’t be stupid. Accidents happen on short journeys just as much as they do on long ones.
What Do You Need Out Of It?
The car needs to be suitable for the baby, but what about your needs too? Your main priority will be making sure that the baby is okay during the journeys so you can get a mirror to put in the baby seat so you can see them in your rear-view mirror. It’s stressful if you’ve got a screaming baby while you’re trying to navigate rush hour so you can attach loads of baby toys onto the car seat. It’s very simple, but it’ll save you a huge amount of headaches!
