Driving your car with your baby aboard is a great opportunity to be together and have fun. But driving your little one back and forth can be a tad exhausting and can drive you beyond your wits. These stressful times are when driving mistakes are made. Below are just some of the most common blunders parents make behind the wheel. Read on and learn how to avoid these slip-ups.

You forget to fasten the seatbelts. Babies are most at risk in the event of a driving accident or severe driving maneuver. Always buckle them in their car seats before each and every drive, even the short ones, as this is where most accidents do occur. After all, safety harnesses aren’t just for the highway. If your child is less than a year old, have him sit facing the rear for as old as he can be. Unless your car is a two-seater, always have him sit at the back until he reaches the age 13. Get him used to it early on so he will not grow up complaining or questioning about it.

Stop using your cellphone. Studies reveal that cellphone use while driving (even when you use a hands-free device) may be just as dangerous as drunk driving. This is simply because using your mobile phone takes away too much of your attention from driving, and this should actually be your only concern at the moment. Take only urgent calls or answer it just to inform the person on the other line that you’ll call back as soon as you can. If there is a valid reason to take the call, pull over at a safe place before talking with your caller. Similarly, don’t talk to friends if you know that they are in the middle of driving. Sending text messages may even be more dangerous because it means looking away at the road while typing your message or checking for errors in spelling.

Never split your focus. Children can be a handful during a trip. However, it is best to remember that you should never allow them to distract you from your main task: keeping them safe while you drive. Each second you glance away from the road could mean meters off your course. If your baby cries or requires some of your attention, look for a safe place to pull over so you can fully attend to him.

Don’t drive too fast. Slow down as much as possible, especially when you’re near a school zone or when it rains. However, you should also know that slow doesn’t always mean safe either. Keep within the minimum and maximum speed limits, and keep a proper distance between you and the car in front of you. Use the four-second rule when driving in good weather during the daytime: count a four-second space to the car in front of you and back off if you’re closer than that. Double the distance when driving at night or in the rain. Remember, it’s better to take your time and be late then put your child in danger.