Travel Safety

Summer vacations and family travel can create our children’s most precious memories: building sandcastles, exploring foreign countries, splashing in the pool. Whether you’re spending a long weekend at your parent’s or trekking halfway across the world, taking along even the youngest infants can provide wonderful experiences and increase family bonding.

Because more than 2 million children have fatal accidents on vacation every year, traveling with kids does, however, require extra precautions This doesn’t mean you should hibernate indoors all season – in fact, the vast majority of these accidents are preventable if parents are aware of the dangers, stay adequately prepared and keep themselves on alert. And because different ages require different safety measures, our guide gives targeted advice for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

• For starters, check out our travel basics for any kind of trip you’re planning on taking.
• If you’re packing the kids up for a long car ride, find everything you need to know about car seat installation, back-seat dangers and what to pack in our car safety section.
• Taking it to the skies? We’ll tell you what to expect at security, what kind of safety restraint to use, and how to soothe a cranky child.
• For those crossing borders, our international travel tips are important in keeping your kids safe, healthy and well prepared for life abroad.
• Planning on staying in a hotel or relative’s house on your vacation? Don’t forget about common child-proofing pitfalls parents might not think about.
• Being on vacation usually means spending more time outdoors – whether that’s at a beach, pool, playground or park. Protect their skin from sun damage, bug bites and bee stings, and be sure to pay extra attention to our water safety tips.

Next