When you know you’re soon to have a baby on board life suddenly becomes very different. You wouldn’t believe the amount of STUFF you need for such a tiny human! It can be quite overwhelming to think about which pushchair, cot and car seat to buy; many people even seek out a whole new car. As well as needing much more room in your car, parents also want to make sure that their car is a safe place for their growing family.
For some people purchasing a new car for a new arrival in the family is as common as any other baby related purchase and should be treated with the same amount of care and attention.
After having a baby, driving just isn’t the same. You’re so much more careful, and you think more about simple things you didn’t consider before. For some parents their biggest worry is getting lost, for others it’s breaking down. For some it’s other drivers who may be reckless that are the biggest fear.
According to research performed by All Car Leasing, 66% of new parents said they had purchased a new vehicle for the baby, typically during pregnancy. The most common reason for the new purchase was safety and reliability. This should be a warning for any car sales people out there that expectant parents are serious customers and aren’t after just any old car.
Gone are the myths that it’s the men making the decisions when it comes to buying a new car, too. Women are also, naturally, very serious about the safety of their children in the car. Buying a new car has become a joint decision.
Young families use their cars A LOT. It’s not just the day trips, the farm visits and the playgroup drop offs that your car will be used for. Many parents get out on the road and use their cars solely to soothe their crying babies and to get them to sleep! Often the sound of the engine puts them to sleep. You wouldn’t want to break down with your baby in tow on one of your 2am drives, would you?
All Car Leasing also found that a shocking 37% of parents have had a crash while the baby was in the car. It can be implied by the study’s other findings that parents were nervous on the road (20%) some with the fear of having a crash in the first place (19.1%). But most say they had a child causing distraction (89%).
Now that you know the facts and figures, what should you do to reduce stressful situations?
-Learn to relax: Anxiety will not do you any favours on the road. If you can calm your nerves you’ll be a better driver for it. You could try yoga, meditation breathing techniques or even counselling if your driving anxiety is very bad.
-Only drive if you have too: Remember to only drive if you have too. If there are places within walking distance, walk! You’ll find yourself much fitter as well as helping the environment.
-Get your car checked: Be sure to have your car checked regularly. This will ease your anxiety and reduce the risk of anything dangerous happening that is within your control.
Doing these things will reduce the number of stressful situations a parent could face and therefore avoid any potential accidents.
