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Parenting

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Original poster

Following on from the hat thread - what about car seats?

55 replies

dejags · 15/07/2005 10:00

Would you say something if you saw somebody driving off with a 6 month old baby on someones lap in the front seat?

This makes me so angry and I have to confess I sometimes do say something, does this make me a nosey parker?

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wordsmith · 15/07/2005 13:14

I have had my baby on my lap without a car seat in the back seat occasionally, but only when I have had no option, ie, he has thrwn up all over his car seat or we are literally stranded somewhere. I remember doing this when DS1 was about 2 coming back from Cornwall up the M5 to the Midlands. he plastered everything in vomit roundabout Taunton. We had to stop on the hard shoulder and get him out, and strip him off. we managed to stop at Gordano services, begged them for plastic bags and cloths, but the car seat was still unusable so he sat on my lap, facing me and I held him tight all the way back to Brum.

He's 5 now and had a booster seat in our car but travels in other cars just using the seatbelt. I wouldn't travel with DS2 (15 months) in another car without a carseat unless it was literally just round the corner, unless I really really had to.

wordsmith · 15/07/2005 13:16

Oh and when I left hospital after having both my kids the nurse came to the car with us to make sure the carseat was fitted properly. I'm not sure how they treated people who didn't have one and were still travelling by car, but I know it was their policy to check. (Took ages to get out of the bloody place but glad they did it. With DS2 we had totally forgotten what to do with the baby car seat!)

morningpaper · 15/07/2005 13:20

This really doesn't bother me at all. Our generation didn't even have SEATBELTS when we were children.

It's far more dangerous that severely sleep-deprived parents get INTO cars in the first place, but we don't all scream in horror about that.

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Listmaker · 15/07/2005 13:33

I know we didn't have seat belts or car/booster seats that I can remember but now we do have them I think it's totally irresponsible not to use them. What if you had an accident and they got hurt or worse - how could you forgive yourself if the damage could have been less if they'd been strapped in properly??

My dds are 7 and 5 and I still have them in booster seats. Most of my friends kids aren't in boosters any more at that age though and a lot hook the seat belt under their arm to make it more comfortable. That's so dangerous.

If they go with other parents or in other cars then they go without the booster but they are ALWAYS strapped in and shout loudly if I try to drive off before they have done up their belts.

mawbroon · 15/07/2005 13:53

It makes me mad too. And I've seen kids jumping around the car whilst the driver is on mobile phone too.... I don't imagine that any of these parents would accept the blame were the worst to happen to their kid(s). It's always someone else's fault it seems.

When I was wee (many moons ago in the 70s) my parents insisted that we were all strapped in (remember those old four fixed point harnesses with the buckles) for every single journey and they always wore their seatbelts in the front too - years and years before it was the law.

Monkeysmom · 15/07/2005 14:04

Morningpaper, true, but our generation did not have so many cars on the roads either.

Hulababy · 15/07/2005 14:12

I hate it - with a passion.

I agree there are the odd occasion where it may be necessary - emergencies, short taxi rides, etc. I have had to take a taxi ride twice with DD and I hated every second, but it really was the only sensible way to get to the place we were staying. DD was restrained with a seat belt, but not enough.

But some people seem to just not have a car seat at all. It amazes me that people are willing to regaularly put their most precious thing in the world, their children, in such a dangerous sitaution. You can buy a car seat for about £20 now - there is just no excuse.

Would like to see all taxis and mini cabs having access to car seats - maybe the built in type should be built into all black cabs, and reduction for those who have them put into their own private hire cabs. They wouldn't be the best solution, but a darn sight better than noting.

However, despite hating it so much, I have never yet had the courage to approach anyone about it.

dinosaur · 15/07/2005 14:22

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

NotQuiteCockney · 15/07/2005 17:37

dinosaur, I use a Baby B'air vest (I think that's the name) for that. It's meant for flying, but I figure it's gotta be better than nothing.

It's a sort of vesty thing, with a velcro strap you put in your seatbelt.

Satine · 15/07/2005 17:58

I still occasionally see children standing up in the back of cars between the two front seats. Even at 20 - 30 miles an hour, an emergency stop or collision could seriously injure or kill the child - do you think the parents don't care?! What other explanation could there be? I mean I can't believe anyone doesn't know how dangerous it is.

sarahsausage · 15/07/2005 18:07

I have had to travel with dd without car seat. I dont drive. Sometimes i get the bus into town with dd in buggy, then get a taxi home with the shopping. Sometimes theres no other way around it.

It is very rarely that i venture out on my own though.

bobbybob · 16/07/2005 01:16

I heard an expert on the radio in NZ who said that only 70% of children are correctly strapped into seats, but 85% of adults were. Not enough space for seats was the main factor.

Skribble · 16/07/2005 01:21

Unless the law has changed it is not illegal not to use a car seat. It is illegal if one is availible in the car and if not seat belts must be used. Can't remember about the front seat though. I sold car seats in mothercare.

Skribble · 16/07/2005 01:24

Sorry forgat to have a rant,

It really gets me angry when you see people in their fancy cars wearing their seatbelts in the front while their child clambers about the seats in the back. I suppose you would get a good veiw when you crash and your child goes flyong past you. I know previous generations never worried about seat belts but the increase in the amout of cars makes car travel and crossing the roads much more dangerous.

lockets · 16/07/2005 02:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

edam · 16/07/2005 08:02

No. Hats are optional and children take them off. Car seats are not option IMO (although legally you only have to use them if you have on - durrrrrrrr). Putting a child in the car without a car seat is immediately risking their life. In any collision, even at low speed, they will be dead or very, very seriously injured. If I saw this, I would take the number and call the police.

edam · 16/07/2005 08:04

Sorry, didn't see Flamesparrow's post before I posted. In that situation I can see why she made the choice she did. Although weighing up the risks of hurting very ill child/child potentially dying would be a very, very tough decision.

edam · 16/07/2005 08:06

Modern black cabs have built-in child seats. If you have to get a taxi, worth seeing if taxi company has one of these available. Or insisting on a black cab (so there's enough room) and keeping child in their buggy, facing rearwards.

sarahsausage · 16/07/2005 09:34

Don't know if any of you saw a report on the tv recently about car seats, they only have to be tested in a collision at 30mph(? possibly 40mph).

Showed one of those crash test dummy things in a collision at 10mph faster than the legal requirements and the seat was outta the belt and flying around the car. It did say some carseats were better than others but didnt mention the ones.

I'm not saying this is an excuse not to use one, just saying what i saw.

Winds me up when i see women carrying their tiny babies on their lap in the FRONT seat, now that is stupid. If you desperately have to travel without one, at least sit in the back.

hewlettsdaughter · 16/07/2005 09:52

edam, is that just in London? I couldn't get a taxi firm to provide me with a child seat when we travelled to a Centerparcs earlier this year from the nearest railway station. We couldn't have taken one of our own - had enough to carry as it was!

Elf1981 · 16/07/2005 10:20

My FIL has a car seat that he keeps in his shed for when he takes a grandchild out. My mum & dad are looking for one for themselves for when my child arrives in October. I know not everybody is priviliged in this way, but it makes me happy to know that if relatives take my child out, they are going to be protected. We're buying a travel system ourselves, so think if I did have to take taxi (sometimes do when cant be arsed with the bus) then I'd use the hackney cab and ask them to wait while I fit the seat.
Yes, I may sound paranoid and over protective, but I'd never forgive myself if I got in an accident and my child wasn't in a car seat and died.
I know there are exceptions to every rule - flamesparrows post for example. But in everyday life, where the family has a car seat, and the child is well, the car seat should be used. It's a £50 fine for not wearing your own seatbelt. Don't know what it is for not having child in carseat that's in a car, but should be higher!

Sorry but I do get wound up about a lot of situations about peoples driving - the other day some idiot almost smashed into the side of my car as he jumped a red light while chatting on his mobile. Half way on the journey, another car swung in front of me, had to slam my brakes on to avoid hitting them, and could see two kids in the back, jumping on the back seats, with no seat belts on. Makes me so
Sorry rant over!

NotQuiteCockney · 16/07/2005 10:58

hewlettsdaughter, it's the newest model of black cabs that have fitted seats. They're not good for stage 0 kids, I'd say they were really for kids over one or two years old. And there's only one of these seats per black cab, in the middle at the back.

I forget the name of this model of cab, but they're really the newest shiniest ones. It does make getting around with DS1 in town easier. Not sure what I'd do now I've got two of them, particularly when DS2 is too big for his Stage 0 seat.

PeachyClair · 16/07/2005 11:32

I shouted at someone bf a newborn in a car seat last week, they didnt even hear, just drove off!

BF is great, but sod all use if your baby dies in a car crash at six weeks

luckylady · 16/07/2005 21:36

This is one thing that reall y frustrates me I really don't understand some parents sometimes.... one thing I also notice alot is parents putting children in the the cat and although strap them in only use the lap part of the belt to secure the child... I really hate this. IMO if the car seat doesn't fit properly with a booster seat then use a big car seat they do go up to the age of 4.. my dd was in hers until she was just over 4, ds will be too.

On this subject does anyone know if you can get isofix booster seats.

Flum · 17/07/2005 00:39

FFs peachy clair you are like the parent police.

wonder where road rage comes from.

You know what they call baby seats 'The orphan makers' as the babies are the only ones to survive. Nice.

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