Whether it's a quick trip to the store, an extended vacation, a sleepover at Grandma's or a stay at a hotel, creating a safe environment for young travelers should always be a priority. Toysproduct is committed to helping keep infants, toddlers and older kids safe and happy. To prevent injury when on-the-go and away from home, we have teamed up with Safe Kids Worldwide to create helpful travel safety tips.

Preparing for Travel

• Before leaving home, discuss travel rules, itinerary and emergency contact information with older children. If a child is too young to remember, safely store this information in his/her personal belongings, like a backpack.
• Keep a recent photo of your child handy in a wallet, envelope or key chain in case he/she wanders away from you.
• Parents and caregivers should plan a team approach to ensure safe travels with kids. While one adult keeps a watchful eye on young travelers, the other can handle the travel logistics.
• If your travels include an extended stay at a friend or relative's home, discuss the importance of creating a safe environment for your children with your host. Provide advice about installing safety devices in the home, such as outlet covers, safety gates, portable monitors, cabinet locks, and self-closing and self-latching gate around home swimming pools to prevent injuries during your stay.
• When packing, keep all of your baby's travel items together in one diaper bag to ensure quick and easy infant care. In addition to extra clothes, diapers and wipes, the bag should include drinks, snacks and safe toys for entertainment.

In a Car

• Never leave your child alone in the car, even if it's just to run a quick errand.
• When you travel, bring your child's car safety seat. You will need to use it for the trip to and from the airport as well when you arrive at your destination.
• Secure young children in a car safety seat. When choosing the proper seat for your child, follow some simple guidelines:
  • Keep babies rear-facing for as long as the car safety seat allows. At a minimum, babies under one year old and 20 pounds should travel in a semi-reclined rear-facing car seat.
  • Use an upright, forward-facing car safety seat for as long as the harness permits. Many harnesses restrain to 50, 65 or even 80 pounds to protect toddlers and preschoolers.
  • Once your child has outgrown his/her car safety seat and is between the ages of four and eight and 40 to 80 pounds, he/she should ride in a booster seat. Children should remain in the booster seat until the vehicle seat belt is properly positioned on the body, which usually happens between the ages of eight and 12, a height of 4'9" and 80 to 100 pounds. Use Safe Kids Worldwide's Safety Belt Fit Test to learn when your child is ready for a seat belt. The laws regarding booster seats differ in each state, so check www.usa.safekids.org to learn about your state law. As a precaution, booster seats should always be used, even if your state does not require it.
• Keep all children under the age of 13 in the back seat. Never place a rear-facing car safety seat in the front passenger seat. All children should be seated away from front passenger airbags.
• Position harness straps through the correct slots and tighten so they are snug. Loose straps can allow children to climb out of seats or be ejected in a crash. Once buckled, you should not be able to pinch the harness when tested at the shoulders.
• Find a car safety seat check at www.usa.safekids.org to ensure your child's car safety seat is correctly installed. A certified child passenger technician will teach you about proper installation, which will help every time you have to move or reinstall your car safety seat.
• Take frequent driving breaks so young travelers can stretch and the driver stays alert.
• Use a sunshade that clings to the window to protect children's eyes and skin. Avoid sunshades with metal bars and suction cups.
• Before hitting the road, secure all loose items in the car that may become projectiles during a sudden stop or crash.
• Make sure that child safety locks are engaged while the vehicle is in motion.
• Driving and childcare cannot occur at the same time. Should your baby need attention, pull over and stop the car first, then care for your baby.
• Remember to pack plenty of age-appropriate, soft and portable toys and games, as well as movies and music to keep children occupied and entertained during long trips.

On a Plane

• When on a plane, holding a child on an adult's lap is not the safest option. Children who ride in a safety seat when in the car should ride in one when on a plane.
• Whenever possible, buy a child his/her own seat on the plane so that an approved car safety seat with a harness can be used. Keep in mind that car safety seats are not allowed in exit rows and must be installed in a window seat. Most airlines offer a discount for children under the age of two