Why do we bother using car seats?

[firefliesinjune]

Car seats weren't used when I was younger we just milled around on the backseat and were sometimes told to wear a seatbelt - sometimes not. No harm came to me.

However I couldn't go out in the car without putting my DD and DS firmly into their carseats as if we did have an accident and they were hurt I would never forgive myself. My family dont seem to understand this and often tell me how silly it is that children are made to sit in carseats

Is it just me or do the majority of you agree its unreasonable NOT to try and make your child as safe as possible? Ive tried to find some info on reduction of injury and fatality now that carseats are law but not found much. Surely its common sense though?

My husband works at a petrol station and tells me he sees many cars pull in with lots of "free" children inside. My neighbour regularly takes her 3 year old out without his. Though I know they have a seat.

Am I being unreasonable to think this is mad?

To stop children flying through windscreens perhaps?!

My OH's mother seems to be in the same camp as your family! She was shocked to hear that they are now compulsory and we wouldn't be allowed home from the hospital without one. Her reasoning of "we didn't have child seats in our days" (which was almost 40 years ago) is a fairly poor one and really quite worrying that she can't understand why that, now we have the technology/ability to keep children safer, we would use them. She was like "what if you can't afford them". If you can afford to have a child and a car you can afford £100 for a seat!

Child seats aren't infallible and injuries and worse will still occur no matter how safe you try to keep a child but I can't understand for one second why someone wouldn't try their utmost best to protect them.

'Back in the day' adults didn't wear front seatbelts as standard. Rear seatbelts weren't installed in most cars. I remember the 'clunk click' Jimmy Saville ads trying to persuade us to wear the things. I also remember the occasional shock photos of what someone looks like that has gone through a windscreen or hurtled through a car from the back seat. (Anyone else remember those rear-facing seats in estate car boots for kids?.... perfect place to be marmelised in a rear-end motorway pile-up!) I'm quite sure that the fatality & injury rate was appalling at the time. Took legislation to make a differece, of course because generally speaking, we're pretty crap at deciding what 'safe' looks like. Big fuss about nanny states at the time... not a murmur since, of course.

All those saying 'it's silly' to use car-seats I'm sure buckle themselves in nice and safely.... maybe that's your response next time? The 'hypocrisy' card?

My Mum doesn't care about seatbelt wearing for herself but if she comes in my car she is MADE to wear one! I really dont understand having a carseat for your child but not using it. Why oh why?!

There were less vehicles about and people did not drive so fast. And the access to information about crashes less available.

Now we know about the dangers, it would be foolish to ignore these.

Think same situation re: DDT, asbestos, cigarettes etc etc

I am shocked at attitudes like "oh in my day blah blah and I am alright" Well, goody for you.

In Singapore (where I was born), there a similar attitude (I hasten to add that many do not behave thus) and one horrific story comes to mind. Family taking new baby home. DId not bother with baby seat. Taxi takes a sharp turn and door (not secured properly) swings open. Child on mother's lap is thrown out.

When I took DD back to see GPs, my dad was surprised at her car seat but didn't dare say anything as he knows what I am like re: my precious children.

Presumably no harm came to you as you were never in a masiive car crash.

I think car seats are essential.

If my boys were not suitably restrained in the back seat then they would probably have killed each other by now.
Or I would have distracted into a ditch.

Spot on GeekOf The Week I have pointed this out to no avail.

Horrible story drfayray but just shows you.

I can't find any figures from the UK, but this US site has figures. According to them, child seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for babies and 54% for toddlers.

The argument that "I didn't have one in my day and I lived to tell the tale" doesn't really work - that is down to luck!

When I was a child (not that long ago) I travelled in cars with no seatbelt, I travelled on the parcel shelf of my mums two seater car, I travelled in the back of my Uncles van along with cement mixer, sharp tools, chemicals and asbestos sheets, when I was very little I travelled in the basket on the front of my mums pushbike, as a baby I slept in a draw often accompanied by the cat, I was allowed to wander the streets as a 4/5yr old where I climbed VERY tall trees, played in derelict and burned out houses sometimes I got home to find just my brother (2 years older) there to look after me as parents popped out. I am not dead and no serious injuries occured but I would NEVER let my kids do ANY of these things!

DH used to work in car insurance claims. So he saw the reports for thousands of accidents - if children were in carseats, then the car would have to be squashed totally for them to have incurred serious injury. If they weren't, then a relatively minor accident could result in their death - it was heartbreaking, and based on that he gets really angry seeing unrestrained children

Check out the new Freakenomics book....think its called two or Superfreakeconomics.

Written by two (now) very,very rich economists looking at various data re everyday events.

They research it all carefully and explain how car seat manufacturers have sucessfully lobbied government to support their products.

In short, in case of under 3s a child is no less likely to die if in a car seat, but there is a siginificant reduction in non fatal injuries.

ie if in a bad car crash and you were going to die, then you'll die anyway car seat or no car seat

but if in less serious crash it significantly reduces serious injury.

I meant Freakenomics two

Take the adults in your car who don't think you need car seats without their seat belt on - get up to only about 15mph and then slam your brakes on.

After they recovered from twating their head on the dashboard ask them if they still think seatbelts and car seats are unnecessary?

dh is a paramedic, he has seen terrible things for adults and kids not wearing belts

If a child just wears a seat belt and is not in a car seat if you have an accident then they slip underneath the seat belt (submerge). Meaning that without a car seat you might as well not put them in a seat belt. I believe that in the USA before the it became illegal to not have your child in a car seat the equivelant of 2 jumbo jets of children died a year in this way.