Travel Safety with Children
Practical tips for keeping children safe during travel, whether by car, public transport, or on holiday.
Travel Safety is the precautions that keep children safe during journeys and trips, including staying with trusted adults, knowing key details, and handling unfamiliar situations.
What is this?
Travelling with children requires extra planning to address safety risks that differ from the home environment. Whether travelling by car, train, or aeroplane, or staying in unfamiliar accommodation, a little preparation helps keep children safe and reduces stress for the whole family.
How it works
Unfamiliar environments mean children encounter hazards they may not recognise: different road layouts, unguarded water features, balconies, or unfamiliar wildlife. Tiredness and excitement during travel can also reduce a child's usual awareness and compliance with safety rules.
Warning signs
In your child
- • Wandering in unfamiliar environments without checking with a parent
- • Ignoring safety rules they usually follow, often due to excitement or tiredness
- • Not knowing key information such as the hotel name or a parent's phone number
Prevention steps
Brief your child before each destination
Before arriving somewhere new, talk through what to expect and any specific safety rules — swimming pool boundaries, balcony rules, meeting points in airports.
Ensure your child carries contact information
Make sure your child knows the name and address of where you are staying, a parent's mobile number, and what to do if separated. A card in their pocket works well for younger children.
Check accommodation for hazards on arrival
When you arrive at any new accommodation, do a quick safety check: balcony locks, window restrictors, pool access, sharp edges, and hot water temperatures.
What to do if it happens
- 1If your child is lost while travelling, alert local staff, security, or police immediately. Having a recent photo on your phone speeds up the process.
- 2If an injury occurs, know the local emergency number and the location of the nearest hospital or medical facility.
- 3Keep all essential documents (passport copies, insurance details, medical information) accessible on your phone in case of emergency.
Related topics
If you need to report this
In immediate danger: call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101.
Concerned about a child but it's not an emergency? NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000. Childline for young people 0800 1111.
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.
Myths & facts
Myth: Once a car seat is legally allowed to face forward, it is better to switch straight away
Fact: Road safety experts recommend keeping a child rear-facing for as long as their car seat allows, well beyond the 15-month legal minimum, since a rear-facing seat gives better protection to a young child's head, neck, and spine in a crash.
Myth: A child can wear their normal winter coat under the car seat harness
Fact: A bulky coat can leave hidden slack under a harness that looks snug, reducing how well it protects your child in a crash. Remove thick coats before securing the harness and use a blanket over the top instead if extra warmth is needed.
Myth: Once a child is in a car seat, it does not matter which part of the car it is fitted in
Fact: The middle rear seat is generally safest if it has a proper three-point belt or ISOFIX points, otherwise the seat behind the front passenger is a good alternative. A rear-facing baby seat must never go in the front where there is an active passenger airbag, which is both illegal and dangerous.
Age by age
- 0-4
Keep your child rear-facing for as long as their car seat allows, fitted in the middle rear seat or behind the front passenger seat where possible, with the harness checked for a snug fit and any bulky coat removed first.
- 5-7
Your child will usually still need a suitable car seat or high-back booster in the rear, since UK law requires this until a child is 12 years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes first. This is also a good age to start practising road-crossing skills together, holding hands while you talk through stopping, looking, and listening for traffic.
- 8-10
Many children begin to be ready to practise crossing quieter roads with less direct help from around this age, though readiness varies, so let them lead the decision while you stay close by. Car seat or booster use still continues until they reach 135cm or turn 12.
- 11-13
Independent local travel becomes more common at this age. Keep reinforcing the car seat or booster rule until your child reaches 135cm or 12 years old, and make sure they know how to contact you and what to do in an emergency while away from home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Resources
Sources
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