Road trip! Spring and summer days call for long weekend adventures with the whole family. Cars tend to be the most convenient and affordable way to get everyone from point A to point B, but traveling with the kiddos can be tricky. While a car provides more room and flexibility with travel plans, there are some things to keep in mind when driving long distances with little ones.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, infants should generally not spend more than two hours in their car seat at a time.*
Think about it. You probably get fidgety after sitting for 2 hours — and remember, as an adult your movement is less restricted when using a lap-and-shoulder seat belt. Car seats are often designed with a 5-point harness to keep children safely positioned. While this is a great safety feature, it also means your little ones do not have much ability to shift their body weight during travel. It's best practice to stop every two hours when traveling with kids to ensure they can stretch — infants need to lay on their back and wiggle around whereas toddlers need to stretch their legs and walk around. Everyone needs the chance to use the bathroom or change a diaper. As your children get older and have the ability to vocalize their needs, you may be able to spread out the stops a bit more.
When you can, make the road trip stops fun! Plan out a scenic stop for a family photo. Bring along yummy snacks for a picnic stop. Pack a quick outdoor activity like a beach ball to get your kiddos moving and get the wiggles out of their system.
Evenflo car seats with SensorSafe™ technology can help ease the potential stress of the two-hour drive limit on road trips. Integrated into the chest clip on your child’s car seat harness, SensorSafe™ provides real-time alerts concerning multiple potential safety hazards. While you are focused on the road, the Evenflo SensorSafe™ mobile app monitors the status of your child in their car seat through a smart chest clip that sends safety alerts to your smartphone via Bluetooth®. One of four potential safety alerts states: Your child has been seated for too long (more than 2 hours) — and you’ll also hear a spoken alert stating “time to take a break.” This is an easy and convenient way to stay on top of your two-hour drive limit while embarking on your road trip.
That’s it! You’re ready for all your upcoming road trips. Happy travels!
*Safe Transportation of Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants at Hospital Discharge