November 22, 2006

The joys of family holiday travel are upon us once again. Ah, endless traffic jams, airport waits and incantations of "Are we there yet?"

But beyond the irritating and exhausting aspects of holiday visiting – to say nothing of the urge to simply check your kids at the baggage counter (with your shampoo, makeup and other liquid items), and scoop them off the conveyor belt at the other end – there's the serious issue of safety. When exactly can your little guy face forward in a car seat, and do you need to bring one on an airplane?

Safety experts urge parents to bring an FAA-certified child restraint for small children on airplanes, as the standard seat belt isn't enough. So when you fly South to the grandparents, either bring along the car seat or pick up CARES (stands for "Child Aviation Restraint"), an innovative belt-and-buckle device that attaches directly to the airplane seat belt. Certified by the FAA, CARES is for children 1 year old and up, weighing between 22 and 44 pounds and sitting in their own seat. Visit kidsflysafe.com. For more guidance on flying safely with children, you can visit the Federal Aviation Administration's Web site, faa.gov.

Road trippers should check out the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency's Web site, a comprehensive source for information on general child seat use with answers to all the common questions, plus a car seat rating by brand and type and a location finder for free car seat fitting and inspection stations. Visit nhtsa.gov.

UrbanBaby's Transportation Safety section gives a general overview on specific city travel such as subway, taxi and bus, at urbanbaby.com (go to "Health" section in each city).

Armed with the facts on traveling safely with kids won't eliminate the potential for a mid-flight meltdown, but odds are, the peace of mind gained will make for happier trails and friendlier skies.