Paramedic reveals the one thing you should never do if youre in a car crash with your child

Every parent buckles their child in for a journey believing they’re safe; but small mistakes can have life-altering consequences.What’s scary is that many parents don’t even realize they’re making them.Ex-paramedic Nikki Jurcutz from Tiny Hearts Education spoke with Kidspot about the critical errors that are being made behind the wheel – with one in particular potentially making a huge difference to outcomes.  She says one of the most vital mistakes happens after a car accident.As a mom herself, she’s pushing to educate others so that when adrenaline takes over in the chaos of a crash, this life-saving information stays front of mind.“The biggest mistake is removing a child from their car seat too soon,” she told Kidspot. “In any moderate to severe crash (above 60km/h [about 16.7m/s]) children should be kept as still as possible to reduce the risk of worsening a potential spinal injury.”In an Instagram post shared with her 822,000 followers, the ex-paramedic explains that there are actually three collisions in every car accident.“The car will hit the object or another car.Your body will move around and hit different parts of the vehicle, causing damage,” she explained.“The third impact is actually all of your organs moving inside your body—including your brain hitting your skull.”  Nikki’s advice: Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

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Never miss a story.She adds that when paramedics arrive, they’re assessing far more than parents may realize.

They’re evaluating speed, impact type, vehicle damage, and injuries to all passengers before deciding the next steps.“When it comes to children, they’re particularly cautious of hidden injuries like spinal damage or internal bleeding, which can be hard to recognize ex...