How can children be a distraction in the car?

On Behalf of | Jan 19, 2025 | Car accidents

Many parents rely on their cars to transport their children around. While it can be practical for all concerned, the mere fact that children are in the vehicle can make the journey more dangerous. 

That might seem an odd thing to say, as you only have to look at all the “Children on board” stickers to see that most parents want to do their best to protect their children. Here is why children can make driving more dangerous for parents:

Children can be a major distraction

Children often want their parents to focus on them, not something else. The younger the child, the truer this tends to be. It can apply when their parent is talking to someone, trying to work, trying to sleep, or trying to drive.

The harder the parent tries to ignore them and stay focused on what they are doing, the more the child may up their efforts. Children have a vast range of tactics at their disposal, from politely saying “Mommy” to dropping things, crying, hitting their sibling or screaming at the top of their lungs. The tactics they use tend to vary with age, but the intention (whether conscious or not) is often the same – to pull their parent’s attention away from the road and onto them.

As a parent, it can be incredibly hard to resist giving your child the attention they crave, but caving in, even if only for a second, could cause you to miss something and crash. Even if you pretend to ignore them, and avoid turning around, your brain may now be thinking about them more than the other vehicles around you. It could be out of love, concern or annoyance, but the important point is that you are distracted.

If a car crash occurs, it’s important for those involved to consider all the factors that may have contributed to the collision in their quest for compensation.