What is up with some lame brain parents?! IDC! No excuses!

DazedandConfused

Well-Known Member
Make your kids wear their seatbelts!

My neighbors, once again, are mad at me because I couldn't give their kids, PLUS THEIR FRIENDS (who I had no idea were coming along) a ride.

Why?

Because, no how, no way, does a child ride in my car
without a seatbelt! These people are actually mad at ME because they had to drive their kids, themselves, because, god forbid THEIR SAFETY WAS MY FIRST CONCERN! I even told them I cared more about the safety of their children than they did. They didn't like that. But, darn it, it's true.

I'm particularly passionate about it because five years ago , I and my kids, were in a head-on car accident. I was doing 50 MPH when a pick-up decided to turn in front of me in an intersection. Luckily, my difficult child were in the backseat, buckled in. We were pretty bruised up from the seatbelts (no airbags, old car)holding us down. I suffered a broken foot, but that's it. My car was totaled.

So, I'm get kinda nuts when I see kids not wearing their seatbelts. I even suffered the fists of Daughter when she was little because she didn't want to be buckled in. I didn't care, BASKET A issue.

I'm sick of: "Oh, my car/SUV is so big, it will protect us"

Yeah, bet you won't say that when it's rolled on top of your kids after they are thrown out.


Or, "We were only going a short distance"


yeah, me and the kids were only a couple of miles from home when some guy, not paying attention, turned right in front of me.

Anyway, I apologize for my rant. I'm just flabbergasted when people don't buckled their precious ones in.
 
I'm with you, Dazed. My kids have always been buckled up - it's not an option or an issue.

I never used to wear my seatbelt until I was T-boned in my little "LeCar" (remember those teeny little things?) I was broadsided on the passenger side by a full-sized Lincoln. I was driving and they blew through a stop sign. I broke the windshield on the passenger's side - with my head.

I hate it when I see little ones running around in the back seats of cars on the road. Or being held on someones lap.

I heard a news story of a woman who's toddler was killed because #1 - the mother was driving under the influence, and #2 - the child wasn't buckled in. The woman was going to be charged with murder. (And rightly so - in my opinion)

You are not alone in this peeve, Dazed!

Amy
 

dreamer

New Member
I/m with you 100% and yes, I have refused to drive kids as well. for one, my insurance will not pay out if seatbelts are not worn. I demand seat belts, and I demanded car seats. I was very lucky, my kids never argued with car seats and truth is when they reached age of not having to wear them (by weight and age) and I put them in car without them, they began to cry and asked if I had stopped loving them.

To my horror, WRAP sent us a respite person who used to transport my kids. I found out one day she crammed my 3 kids and her child and herself into a tiny chevy s-10 that did NOT have enough seatbelts for everyone.....I complained to WRAP and WRAP dismissed my complaint as me being too nitpicky! when I found out our girl scout leaders did not require the kids to wear seat belts on field trips, I refused to permit my girls to go unless I could drive them. Bummer was at that time I had a small car, and the leaders got mad cuz only my 3 kids and me could fit in MY car cuz it had a front air bag and none of the kids were big enough to ride in front. They were mad I could not-would not put more kids in my car.

I don't care, I do not want the ticket. I do not want the insurance issue. and I certainly do not want my car rolling over on someone who was thrown out of my car becuz we got hit. I do not budge.

Ironically, I smoke, and those same people who wanted me to transport kids without a seat belt would not permit their kids around me often becuz I smoke.....I DO understand that.....and yes, I honored not smoking around their kids.....but while I understood their reason for not wanting me around their kids while smoking, they never did understand me demanding a seat belt.
I no longer offer rides, and usually decline to drive anyone but my own kids when asked ------I had one kid who wanted a ride to camp 9 hours away, the mom wanted me to permit her kid not to wear a seatbelt, me not smoke the whole ride, and becuz I could not physically tolerate making the whole drive in one stretch, she thought that was "my problem" and would not pitch in a penny to feed her kid, mush less contribute to the hotel room me, my 2 girls and her dtr needed en route. and while my kids wanted to stop at a tourist attraction on the trip home, the other parent wanted her kid home EXACTLY 9 hours after I picked the kids up. (she needed her kid to babysit her other kids)

That was the last time I drove anyone elses kid anywhere. Heck, I would offer bus fare or cab money now, even tho I do not have any money, anythng to NOT drive someone elses kid anywhere.
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
Dazed,
You are absolutely morally and legally correct. I even bought us an extra booster seat so that Duckie can have a friend come along sometimes. Safety first.
 

kris

New Member
<font color="blue">you guys are speaking to the choir on seatbelts. even at 17 & 19 whenever my kids are driving with-someone new i question who, how many & does everyone have a seatbelt.

it drives me mad to see people tooling down the roads with-kids loose in the car. gives me nightmares.

kris </font>
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
Yep, you are right. I am appalled at the lack of concern some parents have regarding this. There is one little girl that used to come over here and her dad allowed her older sister to ride in the back of the pick up truck on the way home....that's right in the open bed of the pick up! I went over there once and the back of their van was open. The back seat was taken out. They have 5 kids! Only two of them had seats. Needless to say, I don't let Missy go there anymore and since they aren't on the bus together any longer, she rarely calls to come over here.

I have extra car seats in my garage. If I have to take my friend's kids anywhere, they go in a car seat, unless they are 8 or 80 pounds, which is the law in NJ.


Don't risk it. If they get angry that's just too bad. You are protecting their children as well as protecting yourself!
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
In my opinion, there is NO excuse for not having kids in a car seat or bigger kids in seat belts! Even in our little rural area, people who cannot afford a car seat for their child can get one to use, at no cost, from the County Health Department. When the child grows bigger, it can be exchanged for a larger model at the Health Department, also free of charge. I've called the police before when I've seen people driving around with their kids not in car seats! Just thinking about what could happen to them in an accident gives me cold chills! And don't even get me started on the back of the pickup thing!

A long, long time ago, before seat belt laws and car seat laws, my dad used to be an Auxilliary State Trooper, the ones who rode with the Troopers at night and helped direct traffic at accidents, etc. I remember him coming home more than once with horrific tales of small children who had been thrown through windshields. And many SUV's, instead of protecting the passengers, have a very high incidence of roll-over accidents, especially with inexperienced drivers! My daughter was an ER nurse for several years ... if you want to know the riskiest automobiles to ride in, just ask an ER nurse - they keep track! SUV's are right up there at the top of the list!

When I am driving, the car doesn't even move until everyone has their seat belt on! It was hard for me to get used to wearing a seat belt at first, but now I feel like I'm just rattling around loose in the car without it! In fact, I even put it on to drive the twenty feet from my bank to the post office! If I am ever tempted not to, just for that short distance, I always start thinking, "It would be just my luck....!", and I put it on!
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
It's amazing to me also. In the last couple of years I joined an organization that deals with child safety (our chapter, mainly child passenger safety) and a year ago became a certified car seat technician. (Fancy term for taking a 32 hour class and becoming certified to inspect and install car seats) The instructors of my class were a state trooper, a county deputy and a city police officer as well as a civillian employee of a sherriff's dept. In addition to the stories (AND pictures) that were included in the cirriculum, they told some of their own stories. I used to notice kids roaming vehicles with out seat belts before the class but now I see it all the time. I once witnessed a family at the grocery store....mom, dad, little boy about 3 or 4 and a baby in an infant carrier.........getting into a little S10 type truck. My plan was to follow them and call the cops on my cell but by the time I got my groceries in my car and pulled out they were long gone.

It's also amazing when you do car seat inspection events, the things you see people do with their kids and car seats. We do seat inspections where I work and a young lady came in one time. Her baby was 9 days old and had a good infant seat. The mom was concerned because the way they had showed her at the HOSPITAL to strap the baby in didn't look right to her and she wanted to have it checked. (This was her first trip out since the baby was born) In rear facing seats the harness straps are supposed to be at or below shoulder level. (As far as which hole the straps are routed through on the seat) That's what the person at the hospital told her and that's exactly what the person (not the mom) did. Literally. Someone at our HOSPITAL had told this brand new young mother to route the straps around the outside of the baby's arms BELOW the shoulders. It would have upset me anyway but our organization had just been responsible for the hospital sending SIX OB nurses through the certification class. SIX. But do you think one of them was actually the one who showed this girl how to strap her baby in? Nope. Some type of nurses aide or candy striper type person did it. :wildone:

It just burns me up to see people intentionally misuse or ignore car seats. Truly not knowing is one thing (although there are alot of places out there to go for info) but to know and ignore.........no reason for it.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
APPLAUSE......APPLAUSE!!!!!!

I have personally been hit by drunk drivers 7 (SEVEN) times, and non-drunks 2 (TWO) times a total of NINE totaled cars. Each time I had my belt on. A promise to my Mom upon getting my first car.

When difficult child was little he would try to pretend he buckled his belt. My car "mysteriously" would not start until he actually buckled it. To this day in his mind (trained) we can't start the car until we hear all passengers click. He told a little kid that last month that was having trouble in his Mom's car. He looked over and said "Dude, the car won't start until you buckle up -watch" and the little toddler clicked it....and the mom got the cue and the car started. difficult child and I got a good chuckle out of it. The toddler thought he had "power" to start the car. And once buckled mine never thought of unbuckling to turn off the car. IF that car turned off anytime during driving it meant SOMEONE was in for a BIG TIME.

Show them the picture of YOUR wreck and tell them it's like PTSD for you. Cause it IS.

Good on ya!
Hugs and Buckles
Star

Is IDC I de clare?
 

DazedandConfused

Well-Known Member
Well, good to know I'm not the only one.

I forgot to mention that my car only has five seatbelts. There were six kids. That would leave me short two seatbelts. I need one for the driver (me!) too.

"Oh, they can ride on each other's laps".


Uh, no, they can't.

PSTD, indeed!
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Well I will tell you what.....since these parents are SO dumb...then I'll send you a loggers strap with a ratchet binder....and the next time one of them insists you just tell the kid to lie prostrate on the roof of your SUV and bind him down....that's about how stupid these parents are for safety.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I am SO with you on this!! I see parents at school picking up kids and putting htem in cars with-o seatbelts. One family puts kids in the back of hte station wagon every day!! Another puts 2-5 kids in the back of a pickup truck (it has a camper so they are protected!) every day!! Drives me nuts.

I rode in a car seat back in the early 70's. My dad installed seat belts because our car didn't have them!! I have consistently REFUSED to start the car if people won't buckle. Even in high school when it was reall UNCOOL to do this.

When he was little (age 2 or 3?) B asked a little boy why his mom didn't love him? B told the boy that if his mom loved him she would MAKE him ride in his seat belt. It was the law and it was the safe thing to do! Actually told hte kid (with mom watching) all this!! Mom was very upset with me because B said this!! I just told her it was true, that if she loved her kids as much as she said she would MAKE them buckle up!! Liking it is not an issue, just like with medications. (I don't care if my kids don't watn to take medications, if they need them they take them. I don't take guff from the dang cats about medications (or their car carriers!), why would I take it from my kids!

Susie
 
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