Has anyone ever been driving and noticed a child that should be in the bacseat or even worse should be in a carseat and isn't? I have seen this and it makes me so mad. My husband says I should call the police and report them while i am driving but I have never had the guts to do it.I saw a child last week that looked about two just sitting on the edge of the front seat looking around. Because my father works in traffic homocide I know all to well what terrible things can happen if an accident occurs and anyone, especially a small child isn't buckled up. So what would you do if you saw this? I wish i could ask them to roll down their window and explain to them that they are neglecting their child and could potentially injure or lose their child by negelecting to keep them safe. Am i crazy or does this bug you too?

i feel the same way. i have never seen so many kids not buckled up as florida has. when i lived in ny you would have gotten a ticket in a second for anyone in your car without a seatbelt on or in a car seat. florida is very relaxed when it comes to seat belts i have noticed. when we see this my husband and i just say brooke will always be wearing her seat belt. i say when kids are too young to make there own decisions the parents have to do it for them. and seatbelts or carseats are definatley one of those needed things.

Oh my gosh, this is the thing that makes me crazy.

I was at Publix just the other day and saw two young Moms with 5 children between them at the grocery store. The chidren were well behaved and the Moms were attentive. Then we went to the parking lot at the same time and four kids piled in the back seat, none with seatbelts or car seats and two looked to be under 5 or 6. Worse yet, one of the Moms got into the front passenger seat with an INFANT IN A SLING! I was just sick when I saw that.

Funny, that same day my child fought against getting into her seat and we had to sit there about 10 minutes until she finally gave in. That was the best spent 10 minutes of my day that day.

I can't agree more. It really ticks me off when I see young kids not in car seats. I know that mine will always be in their car seats.
I have thought about calling the police before, but I also, have never had the guts to do it.
I just wish people would think about it before putting their kids in a car without a car seat.

Oh no, you are NOT the only one it angers! As with the other ladies who've responded, I, too have seen this, every week I can honestly say I see at least one situation warranting a report.

I have had the nerve to speak up. Once our family was driving on S Fl Ave when I witnessed a woman turn into Checkers. What caught my eye as I passed in the opposite direction was that her passenger had an itty bitty baby lying against her chest and there were two other children in the backseat. It was also raining. Nice, huh?!

I was so concerned I turned around, just in time to catch the woman waiting to leave after getting her food. I yelled out my driver's window to "PUT THAT BABY IN A SEAT!!!!!!!!!!!" They couldn't look me in the face and I yelled it about 3-4 times, so there was no mistake who I was yelling at or what I was yelling.

I have no doubt it'll make them think next time, not that they'll change their ways, but I can't imagine either woman not thinking of me yelling out my window when putting their children in the car.

The car rear view mirror had a Publix tag hanging from it, the type for Corporate Employees. I had a few moments where I wanted to call with the vehicle info and just let them know what I'd witnessed.

Another time we were eating at Ruby Tuesday in Bartow when a large black "jeep" pulled into the handicap spot. Several adults emerged and several children. I was surprised they fit, then wondered if some had met the others and we just didn't see the other car park.

Well, we were still there when they left and, this made me ill, too.......

One woman got into the passenger seat and proceeded to place a toddler onto the floor board in front of her! And there was no way with all those adults that the children were in restraints. I can only imagine what would have happened to that little baby on the floor board had they gotten into a wreck!

It's disgusting how people just have little disregard for safety of the very little ones they've been entrusted to raise and protect.

I know most of the moms here probably know this - but just a friendly reminder - your car seat is only as good is its installation. Children can still be poorly protected in the event of an accident if the seat is not installed correctly, and if the child is not strapped into the seat correctly.

Polk County Sheriffs Department has Certified Car Seat Technicians who will check your kids' seats for you if you have not had them inspected by a car seat technician.

quote:

Originally posted by Albee:
I know most of the moms here probably know this - but just a friendly reminder - your car seat is only as good is its installation. Children can still be poorly protected in the event of an accident if the seat is not installed correctly, and if the child is not strapped into the seat correctly.

Polk County Sheriffs Department has Certified Car Seat Technicians who will check your kids' seats for you if you have not had them inspected by a car seat technician.

Good tip, Albee! I once brought one of ours to the Lakeland Police Department (several years ago) just to be sure it was in correctly and was told no one was really able to look at it. Finally, one deputy came out and yanked on it, saying, "If it's latched by the belt it's fine" Meanwhile, the carseat was jerked wiggly. So, I had to redo it. ALSO, USE the gold toned bracket(? I forgot the actual name for it) that comes along with car seats. It'll stop the seat belt from coming slack.

I'm glad to hear that the Polk Sheriff's Office has Certified Car Seat Technicians who can check car seats. I'll let anyone I know who has the need of this info! THANK YOU!!

The gold thing is called a locking clip and it is only necessary in older cars in which the seat belt won't lock.
To check to find out if your seat belt will lock, pull the belt out all the way and listen for a clicking sound. If you hear it no clip required.
The best way to get a car seat in securely is to get in it on your knees to push it down tightly, wind the seat belt through, pull the belt out all the way and slowly let it pull in while clicking. Push the belt in a little more and voila, success. A car seat should never be able to move more than an inch in any direction or it is too loose.

Ladies, this to bothers me. I see it all to often and I did speak up once. I was at a red light and a family was beside me with the window down holding a baby that looked to be 7 to 8 months old. The woman was driving and the man was holding the baby in the front seat. The two adults were smoking, no seat belts on and no car seat in the car. I told them at the red light they needed to put their baby in a car seat. They wouldnt look at me. sigh, sometimes you feel like it is none of your business but it is hard not to be an advocate for little ones!

In my sister's married family there was an incident of a young mother taking her husband to work, after dropping off her husband she decided to drive and breastfeed at the same time. She lost control of the car and wrecked. The baby was thrown from the car and killed. The baby died at the scence. So tragic.

There are carseat saftey tips in the polkmom video section. They are worth the look.

quote:

Originally posted by American:

quote:

Originally posted by Albee:
I know most of the moms here probably know this - but just a friendly reminder - your car seat is only as good is its installation. Children can still be poorly protected in the event of an accident if the seat is not installed correctly, and if the child is not strapped into the seat correctly.


Polk County Sheriff's Department has Certified Car Seat Technicians who will check your kids' seats for you if you have not had them inspected by a car seat technician.

Good tip, Albee! I once brought one of ours to the Lakeland Police Department (several years ago) just to be sure it was in correctly and was told no one was really able to look at it. Finally, one deputy came out and yanked on it, saying, "If it's latched by the belt it's fine" Meanwhile, the carseat was jerked wiggly. So, I had to redo it. ALSO, USE the gold toned bracket(? I forgot the actual name for it) that comes along with car seats. It'll stop the seat belt from coming slack.

I'm glad to hear that the Polk Sheriff's Office has Certified Car Seat Technicians who can check car seats. I'll let anyone I know who has the need of this info! THANK YOU!!

There are regular car seat check up events held throughout the county but maybe not enough people are hearing of them?

Juli Davis, who facilitates the Mommy and Me groups at Family Fundamentals, is a certified car seat technician. She has checked my seats for me. And, I have had two separate Sheriff's Dept employees check my seats - the latest of which was at my own house - she came right out to my home to check the seats.

I get my car seats checked regularly - for example, when both kids were tiny - their infant seats were checked, and then when they moved up to their convertible rear facing seats, and with my daughter once again when she turned forward facing. I have also had them checked when we changed our vehicle.

No matter how well we read the instruction manual, and thought we had the seats in securely - each time I've had them checked the car seat technician has helped me improve the installation.

There is a nurse at All Children's Specialty Clinic in Lakeland, on Lakeland Hills Boulevard who is also a certified Car Seat Technician. Her name is Karen, and I believe you can make an appointment to have your seat checked by her.

In my opinion, the Florida Child Restraint laws are not stringent enough and they should be tightened up significantly. From the excerpt below you can see that only children through age 3 are required to be in a special seat! After that, legally, the seatbelt is all that is required. This is NOT adequate in the event of an accident because a seatbelt will not fit a child correctly unless it is positioned by a belt positioning booster, at least.

4. What is Florida's Child Restraint Law?

All children 5 years of age or younger must be properly restrained no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle. Children through age 3 must be secured in a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child safety seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child safety seat, or a safety belt may be used. (FL Statute 316.613).

Good Morning, Albee!

Thanks for the great info!

I actually created a thread in the Newborn to Toddler Section about Car Seats, etc.

Here it is, moms:

http://talk.polkmoms.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6821058796/m/3971077007


Also, Shawn created a Car Seat Recall Thread in the same Section:

http://talk.polkmoms.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6821058796/m/2991009107


I have always been attentive to our car seats and knowing how to install them. I have called manufacturers if I had questions, etc. Yes, push down with your knee for a better fit. I have kept ALL manuals, etc. for every one we've needed. I would NEVER buy one from a yard sale or strangers, although I will say that because I know myself and the care I gave ours, I was comfortable selling ours when we were beyond their use, manuals, bases, backs, and all.

FYI, Moms if you are EVER in a car accident, the insurance company MUST reimburse you for a NEW car seat if your child was restrained in it at the time of the accident. The restraints will have been compromised, therefore possibly unsafe for further use. YOU will need to bring it up to the insurance company, they don't readily offer that information.

Oops! I didn't see that thread before - I guess I'm conscious that a lot of moms aren't aware of the services available regarding car seat checks - so I tend to spout them when it comes to mind

I also know that Toys R Us does a car seat safety event where they check for free. They had theirs right before my daughter was born and that is where we had ours checked before putting her in it the very first time.

"Back in the day" the hospitals had mandatory checks where you could not leave the hospital with your newborn until you had proven you had the appropriate infant seat and it was inspected. I wish these practices were back in place. Now you can leave the hospital with your tiny one and drive away without one and noone knows.

Perhaps if we had better education for pregnant women and new moms in the hospitals too.

quote:

Originally posted by Albee:
Oops! I didn't see that thread before - I guess I'm conscious that a lot of moms aren't aware of the services available regarding car seat checks - so I tend to spout them when it comes to mind

By all means, POST your info! I am glad to know where to go and whom to ask for. I didn't have that info. lol I am greatful for the info and will share, share, share it!!! So, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to add the links since the thread turned more toward that info. I am thankful to Shawn for adding the thread about car seat recalls, too. That is important and I end up missing stuff like that not watching television, etc. Wal Mart and other stores do post their recalls at their Customer Service desks, so parents can check those, too.

I LOVE when other moms are as passionate about sharing information as I can be. And that other moms aren't keeping information to themselves. I have run into such mothers who won't share for whatever reason. I think it destroys the woman to woman, mother to mother, relationship in our society. We all need to help and share, be open and honest. Afterall it's for ALL children.


VegasMom, I hear what you are saying! Yes, I recall family members saying exactly what you have when we had our children. Actually, didn't hospitals GIVE FREE car seats to those who didn't have them??

One of the benefits of having a car seat technician check your seats is that they check if that model has been recalled.

Also - when you purchase a new seat - always send in the registration card - the manufacturers will automatically advise if the seat has been recalled, and what action you need to take.