An interesting story ran on the news recently about a young child who took the family minivan and went off to buy food because he was hungry. As one might expect - the child crashed the vehicle in an accident that involved another driver whom, herself, only sustained minor injuries while the child was basically unscratched.
This news item turned viral over the weekend and while some people may have found it 'cute' anyone with small children probably ran to hide the keys - and I shudder to think what parents with push-button start cars are thinking.
As a parent we are charged with keeping our children safe in the vehicle when we are driving - how many of us stop to think of any of the other scenarios that may occur between a child and a car.
And while certainly this story seems far-fetched - the child has demonstrated that it is not out of the realm of possibility for them to reason out the manner in which to attempt to drive all by themselves (they even get the opportunity to 'drive' on many video games which further emboldens and distorts their understanding of the process).
The real problem with this story is that it is not the first time that a child has taken the keys to the family car and attempted to drive. One thing is for sure - this action ends negatively for everyone involved.
Parents - take the time to talk to your children about who may and may not drive the car. Then keep the car locked and any device related to driving put safely out of little one's hands.
Greg Baumgartner is a Houston injury lawyer and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping personal injury victims seek civil justice. If you would like to speak with a Houston accident lawyer call the Baumgartner firm.
