To have called 101 about this?

[Wecandothisthing]

I'm currently a passenger in a car travelling down a 4 lane motorway, so every car is travelling very fast.

I noticed that in a car we were overtaking, there was a toddler (2 or 3 by the looks of it) sat on a woman's knee in the passenger seat. It caught my eye as he was fidgeting and trying to climb on the dashboard.

I called 101 and gave them the location and number plate of the car as I was concerned about the child.

Was that the right thing, or was I being a 'busy body'? (My DH told me not to)

What do you think the police will do about it?

Sounds mad ! What did police say they would do ? I think your concern was for the child so fair enough for ringing. Probably be apprehended/ warned I guess..?

They didn't say what they would do about it, just gave me a crime reference number.

They were near us for a while longer and I was thinking how it would be dangerous to try to pull them over where we were.

We've now turned off the motorway.

Would rather be a “busy body” than ignore and find out the poor kid and ended up through the windscreen and you could have at least given the police the heads up.. u did the right thing to have peace of mind for yourself

The police won't do anything about it. I don't even think it's illegal for 'occasional' use of a car, which they could say it is. Plus you can legally do it at any time in a taxi.. makes no sense.

www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/when-a-child-can-travel-without-a-car-seat

Jesus Christ. You definitely did the right thing. Even if the police just give them a warning and a how to guide on car seats (they may have been from another county)

I would have done the same that's awful!

Not unreasonable. I've done similar and ignored the hypocrisy that I was averaging over 100 mp/h on the journey.

I've called 999 for a newborn not in a car seat and they said they'd send a police car out to try and stop the car.

You did the right thing IMO. Completely idiotic of them and really dangerous. That child would stand no chance in a crash, either going straight through the windscreen, being squashed by the passenger airbag going off, or crushed between the adult and the dashboard.

I would of called 999 tbh. Selfish idiot parents

Surely it's not legal ever to have an unrestrained child on your knee in a car, even on an unplanned trip or in a taxi. I thought that law was you can go without a child's car seat in taxi or unplanned one off journey. Not ever be sat on someone's knee.

I think you did the right thing op

Just read KalaLaka's link, it's indeed fine to have an unrestrained under 3 in your car!

I'm really gobsmacked. It still says it must be a rear seat, not the front passenger but even then. What's the point in his being law when there's a get out clause.

It’s not fine. It’s allowed if the car has no seatbelts

Wow
Is the car journey that boring?

So your husband might have felt differently if the car driver had drifted into his lane. Clipping your car and potentially killing people! So carry on being a busy body. As any self respecting parent wouldn't put there kid on there knee doing 70 on a motorway

I think you did the right thing, it's bloody dangerous.