Gasp!!!

[LarsMal]

I try really really hard not to judge other parents. I am not perfect, and I don't pretend to be...BUT, I'm pretty sure this is ILLEGAL, so today...I judge!

Today I watched as a parent at DS's school put their 4.5 yo in the FRONT seat of a convertible- top down (so clearly not trying to hide anything)- and drove off (onto main roads) with nothing but a seatbelt on the child...who was in the FRONT SEAT. Did I mention- NO CAR SEAT or booster!?! Oh, and parent was talking on the phone, too.

I know this family lives close to the school, but that shouldn't matter. I have seen the parent put the child in the back seat of another car- with tinted windows- and was fairly certain he wasn't buckled in at all. I have no idea if there is a car seat/booster in the back of that car either.

I decided to follow them home to see if they were going that way. Either way, it's not right, but at least if they were heading home, they would get there quickly. The still have to turn onto a main road to get home. Well...NOPE, didn't head home- which means they were continuing down main roads. Seriously- where are the cops when you need them?!?!

[geochick]

Wow. If it happens again, I'd let the police know what time school gets out, and the license plate number. Have them there waiting for the "parent" the next time.

[maestramommy]

I've actually seen a parent pick up their kid (from the 3s class), and put her in the front seat of their car. It's a Geo or Saturn something. Maybe it has no back seat? I don't see a booster. It looks as though she just gets in the car and maybe uses the seatbelt? She's tall for 3, but still. I was shocked, but didn't want to say anything, in case there's something about the car I don't know.

I've also seen a kid get in the back of their minivan, hop into a booster? in the 3rd row, and the car just takes off. The kid is NOT belted in, and I'm wondering if the booster is even attached to the seat.

[wellyes]

That's a 911 situation, seriously. Two flagrant violations of the law - the front seat (assuming the car has a back seat) and the lack of booster. I'd report it.

[ShanaMama]

I am not defending that parent at all but some cars have a weight sensor on the front seat which deactivates the airbag when it senses a child. It picks up on the weight, that there's someone there but not heavy enough for an airbag. My purse sets it off sometimes. :bag:

[JTsMom]

I see that sort of thing, and worse, multiple times a day here. It's pathetic. I've seen little, little kids literally hanging out the window!

I know the laws vary by state. Here's a chart just to get an idea.
http://www.elitecarseats.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?pageName=car_seat_laws

[Nooknookmom]

I've seen it all, and as a carseat safety fanatic, I've annoyed many parents about their actions.

I love the parents who drive off in Mercedes/Beamers and their 3, 5 & 7 yo are in the backseat-flopping all over with no boosters/carseats. Their excuse clearly cannot be monetary.

I once saw a man at the grocery store put his 1 yo in the frontseat and seatbelt him in!!!! I called the cops - who did NOTHING. :52:

[HIU8]

I see this daily. It upsets me to no end. I live in an area with very educated people--like the mom today who was amazed that I would order a booster seat online when I can just go to target and pick one up (um, they don't carry all the options). I think her very small almost 5 yr old is in a backless booster.

[SnuggleBuggles]

It was a sad moment for me today- a sign that I have just practically given up- when I saw a mom loading her 3-4 yo into the backseat, no booster or carseat present, and thought, "well, at least she's putting him in the back seat." Sad.

Beth

[gatorsmom]

I am so tired of people around here raising their eyebrows at me and looking at me like I'm stupid because I have 4 kids in Marathons and the twins are still rearfacing. They all laugh and say, "isn't it time to turn those things around?" And then when I start spouting out statistics, they just say, "oh yeah?" and walk away while I'm in the middle of my sentance. They just dont' want to hear it. Make fun of me and then walk away while I'm defending myself? That's just jerky.

[edurnemk]

The lady who crashed into our car 2.5 weeks ago, had her 10 year old in the front seat with no seat belt (he hit his head in the accident), and in the backseat her mother was riding with no seat belt and holding her 6 month old grandchild in her arms. I swear, it was a miracle the baby didn't fly out in the crash. I was wearing a seatbelt and I'm still recovering from my injuries. DS was RF in his Blvd, so he was unharmed. I just could not believe the baby in the arms thing.

One of my cousins had car seats installed for her 4 and 5 year old DDs, but would not buckle them in, so they were just sitting on top of the seats or jumping around in the backseat... I didn't have kids back then and it still freaked me out. When they rode in my car, I would not pull out until everyone was buckled up, and my cousin thought I was crazy.

So I agree, this is beyond being judgemental, it is ILLEGAL!

[ewpmsw]

I've stopped taking both of the roads near our house that pass elementary schools in the afternoon. I feel guilty NOT calling the county non-emergency line when I see kids bouncing around in the back of a minivan and climbing from the front to back seats. However, I'd feel guilty reporting the drivers and I can't get DH or anyone else to agree it would be anything but mean and jerky to report them.

[crl]

I've stopped taking both of the roads near our house that pass elementary schools in the afternoon. I feel guilty NOT calling the county non-emergency line when I see kids bouncing around in the back of a minivan and climbing from the front to back seats. However, I'd feel guilty reporting the drivers and I can't get DH or anyone else to agree it would be anything but mean and jerky to report them.

I'll agree that you should call on them! That's not mean or jerky--we're talking about risking death and dismemberment here.

Catherine

[gatorsmom]

I just wanted to post that my BIL is a police officer in Texas and his favorite thing is to check for child carseat violations and rip anyone a new one that is not following the laws. He says he likes to give those parents and caregivers a guilt trip they are not likely soon to forget. :applause:

[hardysmom]

Well, here it wouldn't have been illegal... or at least not very illegal. Not enforced. I've never heard of anyone who has EVER been ticketed for not having their kid seated correctly, though it is often mentioned as an issue after accidents/injuries. I cringe when I pass cars with tiny kids crawling all over the car.

In several states, it isn't illegal for 3-5 yr olds to ride w/o boosters.

In my state (Oklahoma) it isn't illegal for kids to ride in front, just discouraged. This is from our state's website's Carseat FAQs:


Do children have to sit in the back seat by law?
Not by law, but it is the safest place for them in a vehicle. To read the results of a study by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on the safest seating positions for children riding in motor vehicles, click here.


Additionally, while kids 5 and under are supposed to be "properly restrained" the law is vvague about exactly what that means. I love this statement, also off the state's website--

Probably the most frequently asked question about booster seats is: "When should (or can) I move my child from their car seat into a booster seat?" The answer is not always black and white. There is no absolute age, weight or height that applies in every circumstance. The best answer to the question is: "Move the child into a booster seat when they have outgrown their car seat." The Oklahoma Child Restraint Law requires that every child under the age of six (five years and younger) be properly restrained in either a car seat or a booster seat. A child can legally be placed in a seat belt when they reach six years old, but this is not recommended unless they are at least 4'9" tall.

Like, any officer is actually going to ask the ages of kid's riding in the car? Yeah, right. And the truth is that this is a poor state and police/service agencies probably do have bigger problems so far as monitoring poor-parenting.

I'm rather impressed that some of you live places where the police wouldn't laugh at you for calling 911 about child restraints... or scold/fine you for making a frivolous call.

My son is the ONLY kid I know of in his 2nd grade class (and he is one of the tallest) who still rides in a booster. I am the Cub Scout leader and once had to drive all my boys somewhere and it was an ordeal to get them to all sit on boosters since most of them had not seen them since kindergarten.

Very, very, very few kids in the after-school pick up line are in boosters. In fact, I don't know if I have seen any in seats, besides my own. Many ride in the front with parents. I presume (hope?) they don't have active front airbags. It used to drive me nuts, but maybe I am getting worn down... I am just relieved when it looks like they are putting on seatbelts.

I had to drive for my 5 yr old twins' field trips recently-- one of the 12 kids in their Kindergarten class hadn't had a carseat since he was 2. His mom said it made him too mad. She was upset that if he was going to go on the trip to Krispy Kreme, he was going to have to ride in a low-backed booster... people are weird.

[bluestarfish18]

I am not defending that parent at all but some cars have a weight sensor on the front seat which deactivates the airbag when it senses a child. It picks up on the weight, that there's someone there but not heavy enough for an airbag. My purse sets it off sometimes. :bag:

That must be one heavy purse!:ROTFLMAO: We have the same glitchy sensor and sometimes I just look at it and it turns on.

[ladysoapmaker]

I see that sort of thing, and worse, multiple times a day here. It's pathetic. I've seen little, little kids literally hanging out the window!

I know the laws vary by state. Here's a chart just to get an idea.
http://www.elitecarseats.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?pageName=car_seat_laws

Thank for the link. Though I do want to tell you it is not up to date. At least in Ohio they've recently passed a new law that any child between 4 and 9 must be in a booster seat unless they are taller then 4'8" (I'm not sure that is the correct height off the top of my head.) and if the child is over 4 years but less then 40lbs they are allowed a 5 point booster if they are too big for the car seat.

The reason I'm aware of this is when it was implemented was a month before DS#2 turned 9. So I only needed a booster for him for a month and my SIL has to keep reminding the girl scout parents that we now need boosters for the girls for field trips.

[wellyes]

I am not defending that parent at all but some cars have a weight sensor on the front seat which deactivates the airbag when it senses a child. It picks up on the weight, that there's someone there but not heavy enough for an airbag. My purse sets it off sometimes. :bag:My husband's company is one of the ones that makes those sensors! Apparently the real challenge of them is that they're supposed to turn off for children, but when parents install car seats/booster in the front seat they use a ton of force on the seatbelt (obviously) which can trick the car into thinking a very heavy person is in the seat, thus turning on the airbag.

So not a good idea to rely on those sensors for kids in the front seat since they can actually discourage the use of a carseat/booster.

PSA: If you have to put your child in the front seat you *can* get a switch to manually turn the airbag on or off, whether or not your car has a sensor. You have to submit a form to the US Dept of Transportation, then go to the dealer for the switch. I just know this because we're getting a car without a backseat and I want to be prepared in case we need DD to ride in it someday.

[TwinFoxes]

I am not defending that parent at all but some cars have a weight sensor on the front seat which deactivates the airbag when it senses a child. It picks up on the weight, that there's someone there but not heavy enough for an airbag. My purse sets it off sometimes. :bag:

Right, but in VA you have to be in a car seat or booster at that age. So it's not just the front seat issue. In fact I think most cars these days you can turn off the airbag, especially in a two-seater. My MIL turns hers off because she's one of those people who's so small that the airbag can actually do more harm than good in an accident (well under 5')