Car Safety – Seatbelts, Car Seats, and the Dad Brake Arm
Cars: freedom on four wheels. For some kids, it’s a thrill to sit in the back seat, eat snacks, and argue about who’s touching who. For other kids, they dread going anywhere and make sure you pay for their inconvenience.
For dads, it’s a constant battle between “please don’t spill that juice box” and “why is your seatbelt unbuckled AGAIN?”
So let’s talk about car safety—the not-so-glamorous but absolutely necessary side of being a Real Good Dad.
Seatbelts: Not Decorative Accessories
Kids treat seatbelts like a suggestion. Like, “Sure, Dad, I’ll wear it… loosely… over one shoulder… while leaning sideways playing with my Switch.”
Nope. Not happening. The rule in my car is simple: the wheels don’t move until every belt is clicked. And no, sitting on it doesn’t count.
Here’s why: according to the CDC, seatbelts reduce the risk of death in a crash by 45%. Forty-five! That’s not “maybe useful.” That’s life-saving.
So yeah, I’ll be the broken record dad: “Click it or we’re not going.”
Car Seats: Engineering Marvels Kids Hate
Car seats are like medieval torture devices designed for safety. They’re hot, bulky, and every child despises them. But the stats don’t lie—properly used car seats reduce injury risk by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers.
Translation: whining about comfort doesn’t beat physics.
I’ve had full-blown negotiations in parking lots about car seats. Bribes, threats, “fine, then we’re not going”—the works. But the seat wins every time. Because I’d rather deal with five minutes of screaming than a lifetime of regret.
The Dad Brake Arm
Every dad knows it. That instinctive move where, during a sudden stop, your right arm shoots across the passenger seat like it’s a titanium barrier capable of stopping 60 mph inertia.
Does it actually help? Not really. Is it a reflex passed down through generations of dads? Absolutely.
It’s less about physics, more about love. And maybe a tiny bit of us thinking we’re superheroes.
Short Trips Are the Worst Excuse
“But Dad, it’s just around the corner.”
Yeah, and statistically, most accidents happen within five miles of home. “Short trip” doesn’t mean “safe trip.” It just means “we’ll crash closer to our own driveway.”
The rule is universal: car moving = belts on. Doesn’t matter if it’s one block or a road trip across the country.
Distracted Driving: The Hypocrisy Check
Let’s be real—kids aren’t the only problem. We are. Every dad has tried the one-handed steering, balancing a coffee, fiddling with the GPS maneuver. And yes, I’ve been guilty of the occasional phone check at a red light.
But here’s the thing: kids notice everything. If I want my daughter to take car safety seriously, I have to model it. That means both hands on the wheel, phone down, and eyes up.
Otherwise, my lecture about “no distractions in the car” has the impact of a wet napkin.
Snacks in the Car = Danger Zone
Yes, snacks keep kids quiet. But they also turn into choking hazards at 65 mph. I learned this the hard way when I glanced in the rearview and saw my daughter making the “I bit too big a cracker” face. Not fun.
So now, I limit snacks to safe ones and avoid anything likely to become a life-threatening crumb. That means grapes, popcorn, and hard candy are out. Sorry, kid. Goldfish crackers only.
Dad’s Reflection
Driving with kids isn’t relaxing. It’s a mix of chaos, refereeing, and safety lectures on repeat. But that’s the job.
I’m not just getting us from point A to B—I’m modeling habits that could literally save her life one day when she’s behind the wheel. Buckling up, focusing on the road, respecting the car—those are leadership lessons wrapped in steel and seatbelts.
One day she’ll drive, and I won’t be in the passenger seat with my brake arm ready. But if I’ve done my job, my voice will still be there in her head: “Seatbelt. Phone down. Focus up.”
A Challenge for Other Dads
This week, make car safety non-negotiable in your family:
Seatbelts clicked before ignition.
Car seats used correctly every time.
Phones out of sight while driving.
And bonus challenge: call out your own bad habits. Show your kids that safety isn’t just a lecture for them—it’s a practice for you too.
Because raising leaders means raising kids who take responsibility seriously. And if they can learn that lesson from the back seat, they’ll carry it into every part of their life.