When it comes to your family’s safety, there really is no price too high. Of course, sometimes that means installing certain things in your treasured vehicle that might clash with its overall look and feel. I mean, really, it’s not like you need that three-point harness racing seat belt, might as well get rid of it for something more practical!
We’ve discussed before how certain car accessories can immediately improve the safety of your vehicle, but now it’s time to step it up a notch: it should be safe AND family-friendly. Here are some additions to your car that you need to make it safe for all types of journeys.
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Reverse Parking Sensors and Cameras
Reverse parking sensors are sensors attached to the back of your vehicle that alerts drivers to any kind of obstruction in your car’s rear area while you’re backing up. Usually, car sensors will emit a steady beep when there are no obstructions, then a long, uninterrupted beep when there is one. It not only protects your car from damage, it also helps you avoid injuring other people, including your own family.
Meanwhile, reverse parking cameras project a live stream of the back of your car while you’re reversing. This is usually displayed in a small LCD monitor inside the car’s cabin. Combined with the reverse parking sensors, these 2 can greatly increase the safety of your car, especially in its vulnerable side.
Both the sensors and the cameras are fairly standard on premium models, although more humble offerings might not carry them. Never the less, it’s still a great investment to make, and a must-have for any family car.
LED Lamps
Especially for families living in more rural areas, having a pair of LEDP lamps installed on your vehicle will make your car so much safer during night driving. High-powered LED lights don’t just illuminate the road for you; it lets other cars in the area know where you are so they can avoid you in the dark.
Reflective Stickers
If LED lamps are too big or unnecessary, then reflective stickers are the way to go. Reflective stickers usually go on the front and rear bumpers of your car, making it all the more visible in poor light conditions or in complete darkness. These reflective stickers light up intensely when light hits it.
Child Seat
Stock seats aren’t usually optimized for small kids, so having one or two installed in the back can greatly increase your car’s family-friendliness. If you don’t feel like spending on something you’ll only use for a couple of years, though, don’t worry: there are car seat rentals all over the country that provide you with safe and returnable seats at a fair price.
First Aid Kit
A must-have for any vehicle or home, your standard vehicle first-aid kit should contain more than what you might need if you’re not mobile. Remember: the car first-aid kit is to help you address wounds and injuries while you’re on the road, so it should be able to last you until you get to the next major town or city. Keep it well-stocked, but also remember to replace them periodically, as some medicines do expire.
Car Emergency Kit
Much like your first-aid kit, your car emergency kit should have everything you need to take you from a breakdown to the nearest town. A standard car emergency kit should have a couple of fuses, gloves, a torch, some jump cables, tire-replacement tools, a tire gauge, and some installation tape. Of course, you can add more or less depending on how confident you are at getting from point A to point B in a damaged vehicle.
Fire Extinguisher
In an ideal world, you will never need to use a fire extinguisher on your car. Never the less, it’s a safety must to have one in your vehicle, especially if you’re planning to go on cross-country road trips or somewhere with hot weather conditions.
Ideally, find a fire extinguisher that uses Halotron I as its extinguishing agent, as this has been proven to be the most effective extinguisher in the market, not to mention does the least amount of shock to electrical systems. Again, just like the first-aid kit, fire extinguishers have a limited life span, so they should be replaced periodically.
Life Hammer
Just like the fire extinguisher, the life hammer is a tool that you hopefully never have to use. However, it’s an essential tool to have in any vehicle, especially one that is being used to carry your family. A life hammer is a small, light-weight, hammer specially designed to break through the tempered glass windows of your car. This is to be used only in cases of extreme emergency, and while those situations are rare, you’ll always want to have this just in case.
