I suspect some people think I'm a bit of a carseat nazi. I don't allow my children to ride without one, or to ride in the wrong sort (no, my 5yo is not big enough for a booster yet) -- and the few times they have (without my knowledge or consent, grrrrr DH) I've freaked out. I don't turn my babies' carseats forward facing the instant they hit 12 months and 20 lbs, as is the minimum (MINIMUM!) legal requirement. My 9yo nephew on DH's side insists he rides up front all the time at home, but I make him sit in the back. I know I'm no expert on carseat safety, but I try.
I think I'm the only one in this county who does.
I cannot tell you the number of times I've dropped off one of the girls at preschool, taking time to hop out of the driver's seat to unbuckle my child, and seen her diminutive classmates pour unassisted out of the front seat of some sedan or SUV. No carseat, no seatbelt, no nothin'. Not to mention the airbag danger.... Yikes!
This morning as I was buckling my girls in their seats to leave the grocery store, a woman got in the van next to us with her two children. The 3yo (I know his age because he's in Dos's class) sat up front, no seatbelt. The baby -- seriously, an INFANT -- sat in her mother's lap as she drove away.
HOLY COW!!!
Granted, we live in a rural area where traffic is low and fender benders are rare. Still, it only takes once. And for the kids riding up front, it doesn't even take a serious accident! I remember an incident from my hometown in the early '90s wherein a child was killed by the abrupt inflation of the passenger side airbag when his grandmother accidentally drove over a curb at 5mph. Killed. Dead. Permanently and irrevocably gone. We may not have much traffic here, but we do have curbs.
Everybody thinks it won't happen to them. I don't expect to get in a wreck, either, but I'm not willing to risk my children's lives for my hubris. How hard is it, really? Stick an arm there, another arm there, click, click.
It's none of my business (I guess) so I've never said anything to these parents who treat their children's safety so cavalierly, but it continually astounds me. Yeah, we didn't have carseats when we were kids (if you're old like me, anyway, lol) but we know better now; the information is better; the equipment is better. If you know better, why not do better? Why would you not want to keep your kids safe?
~RCH~
6 years ago
4 comments:
Wowee...that's completely scary. What is wrong with people? I'm constantly reminding Dana why she can't sit in the front seat--the only one that shuts her up is telling her the cops won't like it. "And they'll take you away and put you in jail?" she asks me, wide-eyed. Yes. Yes they will! ;)
I don't know why anyone would think that putting your children's lives in danger is acceptable. It's those "just this one time" accidents that could have been prevented that are the most heartbreaking.
"'Don't put your arm out the window.' MUTHA said!"
Amen!
I forgot about the arm out the window. I need to find that tape. Anyhoo, I don't get it either. Does it really take that much more time? An infant on your lap? In GA you can't ride in the front seat until you're 12!!! That's cool.
Okay I really think this is a rural thing. NO ONE I know does that here. Now we do have a few kids in the back seat hopping around (mostly lower income) but no front lap sitters (unless you count Britney Spears- I dont). If you go to pick someones kid up the first thing anyones does if ask if you have an extra car seat if not they give you theirs.
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