Most parents, often especially those with dependent newborns and toddlers, are very protective of their progeny. They invest in special safety seats and may even purchase newer, bigger vehicles as a way of protecting their children from the innate risk of motor vehicle travel.
When people see decals or bumper stickers on a vehicle advising them that there are children in a nearby vehicle, they may naturally assume that the driver ahead of them prioritizes safety above all else. While that may be true in theory, the reality is that parents with young children are actually often a hazard to themselves and others on the roads.
What makes parents with young children a safety risk in traffic?
Countless sources of distraction
A parent with a toddler in the backseat is arguably less likely than most other drivers to handle their phone because they want to put safety first. However, they may succumb to many other forms of distraction.
They may constantly look back in the rearview mirror to check on their child. They may reach into the back seat to grab a pacifier that the child dropped. Children can cause numerous forms of distraction that keep drivers from focusing on safety the way that they should.
Parenting-related fatigue
If there is one thing that even those without children know about caring for an infant, it is that parents typically have to sacrifice sleep to care for young children. Babies wake up all throughout the night, which interrupts a parent’s ability to get adequate rest.
Even when the child remains asleep, the parent may stay up multiple hours after putting the child to bed. They may use that time to finish their work or take care of household tasks that they can’t accomplish while taking care of the baby.
Both fatigue and distraction can increase reaction times and diminish a driver’s ability to make the right choices in a difficult situation. Parents driving large vehicles they purchased for the safety of their children may also make dangerous choices because they feel like their actions are unlikely to result in injury.
Giving those with children in their vehicles a little more space may help some drivers avoid motor vehicle collisions. They may also need to prepare to hold a parent accountable if they cause a crash due to their diminished driving ability related to fatigue or distraction.