The car door child safety locks are designed to prevent children from opening rear doors from inside the vehicle to prevent injury, but they can have unintended risks when turned on (more on this below). All vehicles are different, so refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual to determine how to turn on or off your child door locks. In many cars, there is a lever or slot to use a key to engage the lock feature, which can be found on the side of the door (the area of the door you cannot see when the door is closed).
WARNING: If your car door child safety locks are on, please be sure to teach your child how they can get out of the vehicle if they ever become trapped inside by;
- using the front doors (which do not have child locks) to get out
- honking the horn (FYI... not all horns honk if the vehicle is turned off)
- turning on the hazard lights
- making themselves visible to passersby
Children should also be taught that it is never safe to be inside a vehicle without an adult.
Is your child safe when using vehicle child safety locks? (KMBC 9 News, Donna Pitman)
