Family road safety night kit

At a glance

• Who: parents, grandparents, caregivers and kids up to about 12
• Time: 75 minutes: a 10-minute welcome, four 15-minute stations, a 5-minute wrap-up
• Volunteers: one per station
• You need: a device with internet for the car seat finder, a dining chair or car for the belt-fit station, sidewalk chalk or tape, stickers or small prizes, printed checklists

Station 1: Which seat? (car seats)

1. Parents enter their child’s age and height in the car seat finder.
2. Show the four stages: rear-facing, harness, booster, seat belt. Explain that each step up gives a little less protection, so stay in each stage as long as the child fits.
3. Hand out the list of free car seat inspections nearby. In Oakland County, Michigan, see free car seat checks.

Station 2: The 5-step belt fit test 🧒

Seat each child on a car seat (or a firm chair) without a booster and check together:

1. Back against the seat back?
2. Knees bend at the edge of the seat?
3. Lap belt low on the upper thighs, not the tummy?
4. Shoulder belt across the chest and shoulder, not the neck?
5. Can they sit like that the whole ride?

Five yeses earns a “Belt Fit Pro” sticker. Any no means “booster buddy for now,” and that gets a sticker too.

Station 3: The back seat rule 🧒

• Kids under 13 ride in the back seat. Ask kids to guess why (front airbags are built for adults).
• Game: “Front or back?” Call out riders (a baby, a 9-year-old, grandma, a 14-year-old) and kids point to where they sit.
• Never leave a child alone in a car, even for a minute. Agree on a reminder, like leaving a shoe or bag in the back seat.

Station 4: Crossing the street 🧒

1. Chalk or tape a “street” with a crosswalk on the floor or parking lot.
2. Practice: stop at the curb, look left, right and left again, keep looking while crossing, walk don’t run.
3. Make eye contact with the “driver” (a volunteer) before stepping out. Talk about why drivers might not see a small child behind a parked car.

Full activity set: kids walk and bike safety.

Wrap-up: family quiz (5 min)

Run the road safety quiz on a screen. Families shout answers; small prizes for the loudest correct table.

Take-home checklist

Print this kit

If your family is in a crash

Get everyone checked by a doctor, even if they seem fine; children don’t always show injuries right away. Replace a car seat that was in a moderate or severe crash, following the maker’s instructions. In Michigan, a child’s medical care after a crash is usually paid by the no-fault policy of a parent or relative they live with. See which insurer pays.

Free to copy and adapt; please credit “Road Safety Academy, Grove and Associates PLC.”