First time parents have a lot to learn as their lives are forever altered. Once you step across that threshold, life is never the same and there is a host of new things to learn and lifestyle changes to make. Going home from the hospital is the first challenge to overcome. Anyone that has driven home with a newborn for the first time will tell you it is a harrowing experience. You feel like there you’re driving an atomic bomb that will explode with the slightest jerk of the wheel. Use these essential car safety tips for new parents and drive that precious cargo with confidence.

Slow and Steady

Following the rules of the road is always a good idea, but it becomes essential when there’s a baby in the car. If you tend to drive fast and loose, slow things down and take your time. Getting into an accident and having to deal with that expense is bad enough, throw some injuries and guilt on top of it, and now it’s unbearable. Take it slow, take your time, and stop trying to be a road warrior. You have a passenger that is depending on you now.

They Will Cry

Something they don’t tell you about in parenting and baby books is that kids cry in the car. Babies don’t understand what it means to be in a car, and traveling so fast feels unnatural to them, because it is. Humans can’t move faster than 28 mph without assistance from a machine. A baby’s instincts tell it something is wrong so it will communicate that the only way it can, by crying. It passes eventually.

Follow the Instructions

Car seats look like they are made to go in the space shuttle the first time you have to install it. The instruction book is thick and complex, but you should read the whole thing. It tells you the right way to install the seat so it won’t move. After you take it in and out of the car 1,000 times, it gets easier to do. Proper installation of the car seat is the most essential car safety tip for new parents.

Don’t Panic

As mentioned, the first time you drive home your baby, it’s going to feel weird. The other cars on the road are driving like maniacs all of a sudden, and they are all trying to run you off the road. You’ll start thinking you need a “baby on board” sign to hang in the back window, like that will matter to anyone but you. Take a deep breath and relax, it’ll be okay. RNR Tire Express is your shop for wheels and tires in Charlotte, NC. Check our selection online and come in for service.