Parents responsible for kids' safety
Mark Pavilons

I'm constantly surprised and amazed at the actions of my fellow human beings.

That can often be a good thing, but alas, it's seldom the case.

I walked my kids to school last week for the last time and was shocked to see some rather irresponsible behavior among parents. Almost every third vehicle that pulled up to the curb and dropped off their precious cargo, had one young child sitting in the front seat. Most of us know - I assumed it was common knowledge, and common sense - that airbags can cause serious injuries and even death among young children. The recommended minimum age to be seated up front is 12 and even then, I'd be inclined to ask my kids to sit in the back (the middle seat in the rear is the safest location).

Wait, it gets better. Those offending parents were driving the large Germany and North American luxury cars and SUVs. It seems there's no correlation between affluence and common sense. What I did observe, for 20 minutes or so each day, was that the bigger the vehicle, the lower the IQ. Maybe they think simply because the nose of their vehicle is a block long, they can survive any collision!

Of course I'm generalizing and maybe a bit harsh on my fellow parents. But come on folks! I may never own a $80,000 SUV, but I can tell you I would never put my children's lives at risk in this manner.

Many people become lax on our roads today, especially when short jaunts are involved. One of the most alarming facts is that automobile collisions tend to happen within only a few kilometres of our homes. So yes, leaving the car running in front of the grocery store with kids inside, while you grab a couple bags of milk, is still irresponsible. Leaving a gaggle of younglings romping around the minivan while you pick up coffee, is still a no-no. Statistics show that roughly 4% (yes that's right) of our children are properly retrained at all times.

Okay, no one made me the official parental policeman. But with kids out of school, more will be travelling with their moms and dads in the coming weeks and that makes safety paramount.

Given the recent weather, we can likely expect a record number of heat alerts this summer. Most of us know we can't leave our pets unattended in a vehicle this time of year. I hope we extend the same consideration to our children. Leaving youngsters alone in vehicles in this weather is unacceptable. And, leaving your car running, with the air conditioner blowing full blast is not an option. Yes, it will keep them cool, but think about the strain on the vehicle, possible malfunction and the effects on the environment of such a practise. And that's not to mention that keys in the ignition and children under 10 do not make a good combination.

This stuff is as basic and necessary as wearing your seatbelt (compliance statistics not available).

While traffic collisions and fatalities in Ontario have been slowly decreasing over the years, our roads - from quiet subdivision streets to the 400 series highways - still present challenges and dangers. In 2004, there were more than 230,000 collisions, killing close to 800 and injuring another 73,000.

Many of us like to blame the young drivers - our teenagers - for many driving errors. Graduated licences, which came into effect in the spring of 1994, have gone a long way to curb teen crashes.

The majority of collisions each year involve the 30-40 age group - likely the majority of young parents in our midst.

One mother at the school mentioned she got into an argument with another motoring mom recently. While the offending mom was busy concentrating on her cell phone conversation, her children had unbuckled themselves and were free to roam around the cab of the vehicle. Again, not very bright. Is this an isolated incident?

Let's face it. We rely too much on our automobiles. Be that as it may, the onus is on us to improve our chances "out there." And that means putting safety first. This simple message is something we try to instill in our children, so why aren't we abiding by the rules ourselves?

"Learning cannot be erased," was the message on the gift my daughter gave to her teacher last week. A nice thought.

We all had to learn to drive and pass our tests to obtain our licences. Maybe some of us should go back to the chalkboard and write, "I will not put my young child in the front seat" 1,000 times. Yes, it might take part of the summer, but it will be worth it!

The summer should be about watching kids running through sprinklers or splashing in the pool. It's about flying kites and riding bikes, and watching the sun set at the end of a busy day.

Let's all be a bit more careful and pay a bit more attention while driving these days.

Our future depends on it!