Tips to Keep Children Safe Around Garage Door

Did you know that garage doors crush about 2,000 people every year? Unfortunately, one of the biggest targets of these incidents is children. Since many kids do not calculate the danger of garage doors in motion, they can be easily hurt. In the past decades, many incidents took place in which people were seriously injured or even died because of garage doors, so specific regulations aimed to ensure the safety of people. In this article, we will go over some tips you can use to make your garages a safer environment for you and your children.

Auto Reverse

The most critical feature of your garage door is the auto-reverse function. Auto reverse function means that if there's any obstruction under the garage door while the garage door is closing, the door is supposed to stop and make a reverse motion not to harm whatever that obstacle is. The garage door does this through its sensors located on both sides. Since a kid may not be aware of a closing door and can't calculate the risk of going under it, you must always ensure that these sensors are functional. You can check this by blocking the sensor and seeing if the garage door is making a reverse motion.

Keep Remotes Away From Children

Since every kid likes to play with remote like things that are seen as toys, you should not allow your kids to play with the garage door, especially if they are little and if they are older kids, you can give them the remote but explain the possible hazards of a closing garage door and advise them to be cautious around a moving garage door all the time. 

Take Care of Lenses

Make sure to keep the lenses on the sensors of your garage door clean. Many people immediately think something is wrong with their garage door's mechanism when the auto-reverse function isn't working correctly. However, debris and dust sometimes build up on the sensor's lenses and create problems since it cannot detect the obstruction. To avoid this, clean your lenses first with a dry fabric before calling for a garage door repair.

Regular Maintenance Is The Key

Just like other mechanisms in your house, annual maintenance for your garage door is very beneficial. Through a regular inspection by a professional, you will be able to detect if there's a problem with your safety features, wiring, and balance. If there is, you can take early action and save yourself from the expense of a garage door installation and keep your family safe at the same time. We know that many parents tend to skip garage doors when it comes to their children's safety. However, Bob's Advanced Garage Doors is ready to provide you with a variety of services, including garage door repair and installation, so you are safe in your home with your loved ones. Call us today to learn more!