I’m being a nosey neighbour aren’t I, but..

[wagasallday]

A few times now I’ve seen my neighbours arrive home and get 4 kids out of their 5 seater car. Car is definitely 5 seats. Two under 3s and the other two kids are primary aged. They seem like lovely people but it is obviously horribly unsafe and I would hate for anything to happen to any of them. From what I can see it looks as though one of the older ones sits in the passenger footwell or on mum’s knee. Should I have a word with them or leave it? Also don’t want to bring about trouble but it just scares me!

I used to know someone who had 9 children (so family of 11) and they had a 7 seater they used to put two kids to one seatbelt 😳 they thought it was a perfectly acceptable thing to do (even though I know it’s not)

It means 'I have the IQ of parsley.'

Some people need more to do with their time.

I think you should leave them alone. Have new baby and probably struggling to get larger vehicle

One of the mums at the school I worked was prosecuted for transporting more kids than her car could carry, without seatbelts on. She had 6 kids and her in the car.

Sounds busybody behaviour and shit stirring.

[email protected] or using a webform on the NSPCC website.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYONE'S FUCKING BUSINESS!!!

There, I fucking said it. (Not sorry for shouting.) Honestly, some people on this forum. 🙄 Maybe it's because my mum works at a school and I used to voluntarily teach Sunday school for the kids at my church, but this stuff has been drummed into me. Would I have felt bad about reporting people I knew to social services? Probably. But I'd have felt even worse if I knew something was going on and I did nothing. Luckily nothing like that came up. I did go off script once when doing a lesson about kids being obedient to their parents. Told them if they were made to or told to do things that made them uncomfortable or they felt were wrong they should tell another adult they trusted. It felt important to mention.

Saw a kid getting out the boot once

You’d be surprised…a man at daughters old nursery is a mechanic and always used to bring his young children in customer cars, never in a car seat or with belts on.

Yep they really are, I live close to school so walk round but have seen loads of illegal activity 🙄
seen a baby left in a car parked on a junction like it had been abandoned, saw someone shove their 3 yo kid in the passenger footwell of her friends car to drive to the end of the (longish road) literally a 5-10 minute walk 🤦🏻‍♀️ most car crashes are close to home rather than long journeys, but still people overload cars, someone I know hadn’t passed her test but drove from the top of the road to the school every day when it’s again literally a 5-10 minute walk 🙄 if you haven’t passed a test you’re not insured and God forbid anything had happened to those kids. She later lost custody of all 5 kids to her mother, no idea why though.

True but if they can't afford a bigger car for the safety of their kids, or a second car, can they afford a potential fine? Why don't you speak to them first

I agree with those saying report it. Hopefully they aren't stupid enough to drive on fast roads like that but even up to 40 that could be horrific.

FWIW, this sort of thing isn't being nosey. It's having concern for child safety.

True but if they can't afford a bigger car for the safety of their kids, or a second car, can they afford a potential fine? Why don't you speak to them first

The trouble with speaking to them is that many people sadly wouldn't give a crap about a random neighbour pointing out the horrific danger of what they're doing, many people would get defensive and potentially aggressive about it. It has the potential to get very awkward or worse since they are neighbours and so OP will have to keep seeing them in a regular basis. Also - if they don't listen and keep on, then if they are reported - even by someone else - they will blame OP.

I'm quite certain they aren't doing this for shits and giggles, I'm quite certain it is a money issue combined with time issues that has lead to it, but that still doesn't make it ok and they still need to stop.

But they aren't safe are they? The parents are putting their children's lives at risk on a daily basis?!?

Apologies @Nannygoat151 I misread your comment. I still disagree with the mind you business element but I read it as if their children are safe so I was wrong to answer as I did

"mind your own business" leads to this: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6556564.crash-kills-four-injures-nine/. I couldn't be that selfish.

Report to your local child protection team or 101. You may not see anything, blue sirens will not turn up at the door, but it WILL get registered and reviewed for action.

OP: Mind your own business.

As per a pp, are they new to the UK? . The strict car seat law is not a thing everywhere. In some countries it's encouraged but not a law. Perhaps they are doing what they would usually do iyswim.

But I'd like to know how you picked up their seating arrangement from a FB post?

I'm really shocked that some posters think "no one would be that stupid" to have one extra child in the car. This happens a lot, and is very normal in some areas. I'm in safeguarding and at the very most the parents would get a phone call advising them that all children need to be seat belted. Social workers do not have enough time/resources to deal with children who are being abused, so by all means report it to clear your own conscience, but do not expect the family to have a 7 seater the following day. Even if the police catch them driving the most that will happen is the driver receives a fine of around £60.

Why does someone always suggest reporting things to the school, that are nothing to do with the school? Really annoys me. Nothing whatsoever to do with school and they have enough to deal with. If a driver is doing something illegal/dangerous, that is a police matter.

You are mistaken.

But aren't there 2 parents and four children? OP says neighbours and their kids so that would be six.

I would report it OP if you're absolutely certain of the facts. Life is precious and you don't get a second chance.