Car Safety Tips for Women

by Caryn Murray

Responsible driving means being safe and smart when you own a car, so here is a list of car safety tips that every woman should have. Many of these tips you may already know, others may be new. In any case, keep this list handy in the glove box as you’ll never know when you might need it.

Car Maintenance

Keeping your car well maintained ensures that it will last a very long time. Don’t wait too long before scheduling an oil change (every 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first) or a tune up (every 2 years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first) for your vehicle.

At least once a week, you should check all fluids and the air pressure in your tires.
If your car is well cared for, then it will be safe to drive.

Safe Driving

You should never talk on a cell phone or text while driving, as your attention should always be on your surroundings. If you often think, “I know how to drive well, it’s everyone else that doesn’t know how to drive”, then you might want to check your road rage, which can be just as dangerous and distracting.

And if I have to say it, I’ll say it, don’t drink and drive! It’s common sense, yet there are still many otherwise safe drivers who will occasionally test the limits.

Car Seat Safety

This section for mothers is a reminder to abide by car seat safety laws. All vehicles newer than 2000 have a latching system, which you can use to hook the car seat onto instead of relying on seat belts. It’s safer to use the latching system, but it’s also okay to use the traditional seat belt system if you’re comfortable that way. Always be sure the car seat is strapped in tightly, and that the child is in the right size car seat. Go by the weight of the child, not the age, and never put a rear facing car seat in the front seat. Actually, you shouldn’t let a child under the age of 12 sit in the front seat for safety reasons. There are more types of car seats now than there were just a few years ago, and car seat safety laws require children up to age 5 to be in the appropriate car seat. Booster seats are for older children.