How to Activate a Child Lock in Your Car

Most child car locks can be activated via a small switch on the edge of the door

Before you make the last-minute run into town to pick up school supplies, it may be a good idea to become familiar with the child safety locks in your car. Every parent knows that children are prone to becoming restless, particularly when travelling in the back seat, so it’s best to err on the side of caution and activate the child locks in your car.

Child safety locks tend to be built into the rear doors of most cars and are used to prevent rear seat passengers, particularly little ones, from opening the doors both during transit and while the vehicle is stationary.

They’re generally easy to activate, once you know how to of course. Most child car locks can be activated via a small switch on the edge of the door that is only accessible when the door is open. Every car is different and some cars implement the child lock control as a rotary mechanism which can only be operated with a key. In some newer models, the child lock can be activated electronically from the driver position via a door control unit. It’s best to dig out your car manual from the glove compartment and familiarise yourself with the child safety features in your own car. It only takes a couple of minutes and will give you that extra peace of mind, especially if you’re bringing a number of kids to school in September.

For more car safety information, see our advice on installing and travelling with car seats.