Parents or guardians often drive with their children at some point during the day. For example, when taking them to or picking them up from school, or when going to other activities. While driving with children can be entertaining and allows parents to bond with them, it can be a distraction.
Here is how this can happen:
Making requests
Children engage in different activities in the car. They play, eat, watch, read books and so on. However, they may keep asking for assistance when engaging in such activities. They may need help picking up dropped items, pronouncing difficult words in a book or handling food.
It’s natural for a parent to want to assist, particularly if they had turned down their requests a couple of times. The few seconds the parent takes their eyes away from the road to attend to their child can result in a mistake.
Loud noises
Typically, kids have loud conversations due to excitement or frustration. It’s also not uncommon for children to have fights and arguments. Unfortunately, noises can be distracting to a driver, as they can disrupt their focus. A parent may look back to see what is happening and intervene to calm the kids down. Thus, the driver’s eyes and mind will not be on the road.
Engaging in conversations
Driving can offer quality time for parents to learn more about what has been happening in their child’s life. However, engaging in conversations when driving can be a cognitive distraction and, in turn, can lead to a crash.
Drivers distracted by child passengers are more likely to cause an accident. Parents should find ways to keep their kids occupied while driving to avoid distractions. If you are injured in such a situation, obtain more information about your case.