We all get that “Spring Clean” feeling, or the urge to suddenly declutter the house before Christmas to impress the in-laws - but do we ever feel that way about our cars?
When we deliver our free to attend car seat check events, we are guaranteed to hear someone say…
“I apologise for the state of my car!”
“Please excuse the mess”
“Bet you’ve never seen a car so full of toys”
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Obviously, we aren’t the Cleanliness Police and we aren’t there to inspect the mess inside your car. However, we may need to tell you that the objects you have in your car could seriously injure the occupants of your vehicle if you are involved in a crash.
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Here’s the science:
At an impact speed of 30mph, the forces involved will cause everything inside your car to be approximately 30 times its own weight.
That’s right, if you weight 10st, you will weigh 300st! Similarly, your mobile phone becomes the weight of approximately two house bricks!
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So, let’s have a think about what you have in your car…
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Pram chassis – because it’s too big for the boot
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Changing bags and handbags
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Toys
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Juice bottles and feeder cups
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The weekly grocery shopping – including a sack of potatoes and a bottle of juice
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Pets
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By having these items loose in your car, you could potentially injure a child or adult passenger, including yourself – even if you’re all strapped in with a seatbelt or child car seat.
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So how about de-cluttering your car?
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Here’s our check list to help:
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1. Empty the boot of the unnecessary stuff so you can utilise the space to store the shopping. Remember, it’s always a good idea to have an ‘emergency’ car kit in your boot, too (e.g, bottled water, boots, raincoat, torch, non-perishable food etc).
TOP TIP: When shopping for your pushchair bundles, ask to try the chassis in the boot of your car to ensure you have enough space, but don’t forget you’ll need some extra room for the weekly shop!​
​​2. Use the glove box and storage compartments in the doors and the back of the seats.
3. Use the cup holders to store drinks and bottles.
4. Make sure that everything is securely fastened down - this includes high-back booster seats when the kids aren’t travelling with you.
TOP TIP: If your high-back booster seat isn’t using the ISOFix attachment, encourage your older children to fasten their seat in with the vehicle belt when they leave the car, otherwise this becomes a loose item.
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​5. Keep a few biodegradable nappy bags in the car as a ‘bin bag’ to encourage your little ones to empty their rubbish into it to keep your car tidy.
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Keeping the clutter down to an absolute minimum is a life saver, so let’s cut the clutter!