Keeping Children Safe in the Backseat

Drive-thru service makes it easy to grab a hot drink on the go, but drinking one in a moving vehicle carries real risks, sudden stops, sharp turns, or even brief distractions can lead to spills for any driver or passenger. Children are especially vulnerable because they’re strapped in seats and can’t react quickly if a drink tips or splashes. For their safety, the best practice is to wait until you’re parked and seated at a table where you can see them and help them handle the beverage safely.

Children under the age of 8, or not meeting weight requirements, are strapped into the back seat and into car and booster seats. According to the US Department of Transportation “Use of age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts for child passengers reduces their risk for death and serious injury in a crash.”  These car seats and booster seats are to prevent loose children in a vehicle but can make it difficult to quickly move a child if a spill occurs. These seats are often angled backward, toward the seat back. If a child spills a hot beverage the design of many car seats can cause the liquid to pool around the legs and genitals. As contact time is a determining factor in the severity of a burn, the nature of the car seat can deepen the burn. Considering the time needed for a parent to be alerted to the situation, pull over, and remove the child from the car seat, the contact time can be quite lengthy.

To go cups are designed to fit comfortably in a hand – an adult’s hand. Children may require two hands to hold a to go cup, have difficulty grasping the cup comfortably or become uncomfortable with the temperature of the cup’s exterior. This can lead to a spill, simply due to the cup being overly large. A small beverage can vary in size depending on the establishment, but is typically between 8 – 12 oz. This may be heavy for a child and can increase the difficulty of grasping a to go cup, leading to an accidental spill.

As a parent, it’s natural to check on your child. Many parents install secondary rear-view mirrors to check on their child in the backseat, or chat with their child as they drive. Driving a vehicle safely takes focus though, such as keeping one’s eyes on the road and looking for errant road obstructions. This can cause the focus to shift away from a child in the backseat. If that child spills a hot beverage, they may not notify a parent immediately. Many children know the importance of their parents focusing on driving or may be afraid of admitting they had an accident. But this delay can cause a burn to worsen as the hot liquid is held close to the skin by clothes, and car seats.

Hot chocolate also known as hot cocoa is a very popular treat for young children, yet many parents may not realize just how hot—and potentially hazardous—it can be. This risk increases when whipped cream or other toppings are added. These toppings act as an insulating layer, trapping heat beneath the surface and slowing the beverage’s natural cooling process. As a result, the drink may remain significantly hotter than it appears, creating an unexpected burn risk for children.

Hot beverage spills and burns can cause lasting harm to a child, who does not know how to properly handle a hot beverage and needs more supervision. Bringing the child inside of a restaurant to sit down or waiting until the destination has been reached will always be the safest option when wanting to treat a child to a hot beverage. This is not always the most convenient option, and if a beverage must be given to a child in a vehicle, safety precautions should be taken, such as smaller beverage sizes, an adult passenger in the backseat, and good communication with the child. Parents all have tough days, but there is no reason to have a hot beverage spill contribute to those days.

“Child Passenger Safety Laws, Child Safety Seat Distribution Programs, Education and Enhanced Enforcement.” U.S. Department of Transportation, www.transportation.gov/mission/health/child-passenger-safety-laws-child-safety-seat-distribution-programs-education-and-enhanced-enforcement. Accessed 30 May 2023.