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Keeping kids safe in a car or on a bike — Parachute Safe Kids Week

June 1, 2022 by Wendy S

Parachute Safe Kids Week is from May 30 to June 5, 2022, and this year they are focusing on safe and active transportation. 

They have put together an amazing list of Active Transportation Safety Tips to help keep kids safe and active on their travels.

children crossing safety

Driver safety tips: Help keep pedestrians and cyclists safe

• Reduce your speed. Lower speeds give you more time to react and brake if needed. Lowering your speed also greatly reduces the chances a pedestrian will be killed if there is a crash. Be especially cautious in areas such as school zones, where children may be travelling to or from school.

• Drive at 30 km/h. A pedestrian struck by a car travelling at 50 km/h is almost six times more likely to be killed than a pedestrian struck at 30 km/h. At a speed of 30 km/h, vehicles and pedestrians are both relatively safe; drivers have sufficient time to stop for pedestrians and pedestrians can make better crossing decisions.

• Keep your distance. Ensure you give cyclists space on the road. When parking on the street, always check for cyclists before opening your door.

• Put down the distractions. In the few seconds you turn and reach for something in the vehicle, your eyes are off the road. Leave whatever it is until you stop. Don’t use handheld devices of any kind; these create high levels of distraction risk among drivers.

• Be alert. Traffic congestion and unsafe driver behaviour are common in school zones during drop-off and pick-up times. As a driver, be patient and expect kids to be kids. Be alert for child pedestrians and cyclists darting between cars or moving suddenly onto the road.

• Drive sober. If you are planning to drink alcohol or use drugs, don’t drive.
Visit our road safety page for more helpful tips: parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/road-safety/
Pedestrian safety tips

• Travel with your younger children. Younger children still need to develop the cognitive and physical skills to make safe judgments about road crossing and traffic. While your children are developing these skills, travel with them and talk to them about pedestrian safety.

• Use sidewalks or paths. Spaces that allow pedestrians to move around separate from motor vehicles are safer. Sidewalks can reduce the incidents of drivers hitting pedestrians along a roadway by up to 88 percent. No sidewalks? Travel facing traffic and as far away from vehicles as possible.

• Cross at designated crossings. Use traffic signals and crosswalks when possible. Talk about what you do before you cross a road. Teach your child to use their senses. Think, look and listen, even if there is a crossing guard or traffic signals to assist them. Teach kids at an early age to look left, right and left again when crossing the road. When the way is clear, or all the cars at the crosswalk or intersection have come to a full stop, teach your child to cross the road and not to double back or run.

• Be a role model. Children learn from their parents and caregivers. Over time, your frequent demonstrations will become ingrained in your child’s approach to crossing roads. Expect them to do the same thing when they are crossing the street independently.

Visit our pedestrian safety page for more helpful tips.

cycling safety
Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

Cycling safety tips

• Check your ride. Ensure your child’s bike is adjusted correctly for their height and have them do a bike check before riding to ensure tires are inflated and brakes are working properly.

• Be prepared. Bike safety training and knowing the rules of the road are important for riders’ safety. Protect young riders by using designated riding areas when possible. Bike safety training courses are available at https://canbikecanada.ca/

• Assess your child’s navigational skills before riding on the road. Children develop better physical and cognitive skills around age 10 – but their ability to ride on the road may depend on their experience, environment and development. Not sure if your child is ready to ride solo? Consider traffic volume, the number of intersections and your child’s level of experience before making a decision.

• Stay on the right side of the road. When using the road, ride on the right side in the same direction as traffic to make you more visible to drivers. Adults should lead kids by cycling single file and having them repeat hand signals.

• Protect your head, wear a helmet. A properly fitted and correctly worn bike helmet can make a dramatic difference, cutting the risk of serious head injury by 60 per cent. Use the 2V1 rule for helmet fitting (two fingers above eyebrows, straps form a “V” under ears, no more than one finger space between strap and chin) to ensure the right fit.

• Be seen and heard. Make sure drivers can always see you and your child. Wearing bright, reflective clothing and equipping your bike with flashing lights and reflectors help increase 360-degree visibility. A working bell will also alert other riders and pedestrians when you are close or passing.

Visit our cycling safety page for more helpful tips –> parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/cyling/


Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay

Safety tips for other wheeled activities (such as skateboarding, rollerblading, scootering)

• Choose a safe place to wheel, away from traffic. Use pathways, sidewalks and skate parks.

• Wear the right helmet for the activity. Bike helmets can be used for in-line skating and non-motorized scootering, but skateboarding helmets should be used for skateboarding and longboarding; they cover the back of the head better and can protect against more than one crash. Visit Parachute’s helmets page for more information. parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/helmets/

• Always wear the gear. Along with a helmet, wear wrist guards to help prevent broken bones and sprains. Wear elbow and knee pads for in-line skating. Also wear brightly coloured clothing and reflective gear to help increase 360-degree visibility.

For more information, visit parachute.ca/safekidsweek

Filed Under: Blog, family, Life, safety Tagged With: bike, car, drive, driver, safety, scooter, vehicle

Focused on family: The 2016 Ford Flex is staying on top with technology and safety

June 27, 2016 by Wendy S

It’s been a few years since I was in the Ford Flex.

Here’s my review of the 2013 Ford Flex: http://www.mapsgirl.ca/2013/06/ford-canada-2013-flex-awd-limited-review.html

2016 Ford Flex @ mapsgirl.ca

At First Glance

The 2016 Ford Flex has remained consistent with the location of all the controls. The seats are still very comfortable and there is lots of space for family, pets, and gear!

2016 Ford Flex

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The fun features that the girls loved from the 2013, like the multi-panel vista roof, made their time in the 2016 Flex so enjoyable.

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 photo IMG_7628.jpg photo IMG_7629.jpg
 

A beautiful day to have the roof open! #FordFlex #fordcanada @FordCanada

A photo posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 7, 2016 at 1:24pm PDT

The 2016 Flex Limited model I tested had room for 3 passengers in the middle row rather than the 2 captains chairs.

Getting around

The handling was just as I remembered it! Fun to drive on the highway or on city streets.

 

Traffic report doesn’t look great, but my ride in the #FordFlex will be fun! @fordcanada

A photo posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 7, 2016 at 12:18pm PDT

I still love the Ecoboost engine. Our F-150 has it and it would definitely be something that I would look for when purchasing a Ford vehicle. To learn more about this engine, read “Ecoboost: Efficiency without Compromise” from Ford Blue.

Ford continues to provide amazing features, and it’s nice to know they are still offering the blind-spot information system (BLIS), cross traffic alert (collision warning system) and adaptive cruise control. Adaptive cruise is one of the features that I miss. My regular vehicle doesn’t have it.

I was really hoping that Ford would offer the Ecoboost engine in the FWD version of the Flex. But not yet. I’ll keep my fingers crossed! Another feature that is really nice to have, that comes standard on all Ford vehicles, is the Easy Fuel® Capless Fuel Filler. You never have to worry about forgetting to put the cap back on the fuel tank at the pumps, or having gasoline stolen from your vehicle. An integrated spring-loaded door opens when the gas nozzle is inserted into the tank. Upon removal, the door springs back and seals the tank closed. Brilliant!

A technology geek’s playground!

Of course, I had to check out the navigation system!  The detail of 3D buildings is a nice touch!  Also, enter the address and city is very easy.

 

I love the 3D buildings on the SYNC 3 Navigation! #FordFlex #GIS #map @fordcanada

A photo posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 7, 2016 at 8:24pm PDT

The 2016 Ford Flex has SYNC® 3 with SYNC® AppLink™. SYNC® 3 is Ford’s easy-to-use next generation infotainment system. I love MFT, as Craig has it in his F-150 – but I really love SYNC® 3. The interface is cleaner, more responsive, and amazingly fast!

Via SYNC® AppLink™, you can launch and voice-control some of your favorite mobile apps or access them in the organized apps section, which automatically loads SYNC-enabled apps from your paired and connected smartphone.

Listening to Spotify or checking the weather using AccuWeather was so cool!

 photo IMG_4361.jpg

You can check out the SYNC AppLink catalog here.

Family fun!

We had fun in Toronto one evening. A nice family dinner out and a scenic drive through the CNE.  It was nice to just relax and drive without the stress of traffic.    We had fun capturing photos and videos of the 2016 Flex.

 

Site seeing with my family in Toronto in the @FordCanada Flex. It’s roomy, comfortable, and the multipanel Vista Roof allows us to see the beautiful clouds above. #FordFlex #Toronto #the6ix #Ford

A video posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 7, 2016 at 8:40pm PDT

 

BMO Field provided a great backdrop for the @fordcanada Flex. This would be a great vehicle to take to a @TorontoFC game! #FordFlex #FordCanada #Ford #The6ix #Toronto #GTA #TorontoFC #BMOfield

A photo posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 9, 2016 at 3:53pm PDT

 

Driving south on Dufferin Street from Liberty Village, I had to stop at Dufferin Gate. Such a beautiful backdrop for the @FordCanada Flex. #Ford #FordFlex #The6ix #CNE #DufferinGate #LibertyVillage

A photo posted by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl) on Jun 8, 2016 at 5:45am PDT

I was excited to find out that @FordCanada retweeted my tweet of this photo:

Dufferin Gate. Such a beautiful backdrop for the @FordCanada Flex. #FordFlex pic.twitter.com/KZNDe6Gfy3

— Wendy [mapsgirl] (@mapsgirl) June 10, 2016

And even more excited that it appeared in an article from CNW featuring Diane Craig, Ford Canada’s CEO

Cdn CEOs @ mapsgirl.ca
Four Communications Takeaways from Canadian CEOs

Let’s check out the back seat!

As a car seat technician, parents will frequently ask how car seats fit in their vehicles. Let’s see how the Ford Flex did with a Maxi Cosi Mico!

The middle row has lots of space for a rear-facing car seat! And there are 4 seating positions with top tether anchors! This gives you more options for installing forward-facing car seats. Many SUVs and crossovers only have 2 or 3 top tether anchors.

 photo IMG_7639.jpg  photo IMG_7640.jpg

You’ll have to be a bit more careful if you have a wider car seat to ensure that the plastic hinges don’t interfere with getting a good installation.

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The middle seat of the middle row isn’t wide enough to install this car seat. If you were to install a car seat in the center position, the drivers-side passenger seat would be unusable due the overlapping seatbelts.

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Passengers have access to a lot of features in the 2nd row. There are cupholders, storage spaces, and an electrical outlet!

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The inflatable seat belts are a nice safety feature. These are optional in the Ford Flex.

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The 3rd row has seats for 2 people with low anchors and top tether anchor in one seating position. As the 3rd row is a bit smaller than the 2nd row, forward facing seats would work best.

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This rear facing seat doesn’t fit.

The 3rd row does have the power folding capability! The girls and I had breakfast at the park one morning and the tailgating position came in handy.

 photo IMG_7571.jpg

 

I really enjoyed my time with the 2016 Ford Flex. From it’s large spacious cabin, to the technology and safety features, to the comfortable ride, it was a hit for our family. If you are looking for a spacious family vehicle that is capable of hauling your family and all their gear up to the cottage, or to your kid’s baseball or soccer game, the Flex is a great choice.

Head over to Ford.ca for more information!

TTFN @ mapsgirl.ca

 

 

~ Wendy


Pros:
Roomy, comfortable, luxurious, lots of fun technology and sunroofs!

Cons:
Larger vehicle, tricky car seat installations

Specs (as tested):
• 3.5L EcoBoost® V6 twin-turbocharged, direct-injection engine
• All-Wheel Drive
• 7 passenger
• City: 15.7 L/100km
• Hwy: 11.2 L/100km
• Maximum Towing Capacity: Class I; up to Class III with optional Trailer Tow Package
• Horsepower (SAE net @ rpm): 365 @ 5500
• Torque (lb.-ft. @ rpm): 350 @ 3500
• Transmission : 6-speed SelectShift® automatic with paddle activation
• Steering: Electric power assist Rack-and-Pinion
• Braking: Power 4-wheel disc with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Front suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts with rear-facing lower L-arms
• Front shocks: Gas-pressurized twin tube
• Rear suspension: Multi-link, fully independent suspension, fully isolated rear subframe
• Rear shocks: Gas-pressurized twin tube
• Wheelbase: 2994mm
• Length: 5125mm
• Height: 1726mm
• Passenger Volume: 4412
• Cargo Volume Behind First Row: 2355
• Cargo Volume Behind Second Row: 1224
• Cargo Volume Behind Third Row *Including rear seat well: 426*

Available in 3 models:
• Flex SE – Starting at $29,799
• Flex SEL – Starting at $36,799
• Flex Limited – Starting at $43,599

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. Ford Canada loaned me the vehicle for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: auto reviews, Products & Reviews Tagged With: auto, flex, ford, Ford Canada, ford flex, review, suv, SYNC3, vehicle

Follow MapsGirl On…

mapsgirl@gmail.com

Why “mapsgirl” ?

Wendy is a cartographer! She draws maps!

When not mapping, Wendy is also a mom to two daughters. They are the inspiration of this blog. Passionate about child passenger safety, Wendy was a certified Car Seat Technician in Ontario, Canada from 2008 to 2020. [Read More …]

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