Thursday, October 17, 2013

Things That Annoy Me Thursday: Tiny Kids In The Front Seat

"Why aren't they wearing a seatbelt?" Natalie asked from the backseat as we drove home from Dallas.

Good question.

I had noticed that many people we passed in vehicles were not wearing their seatbelt. Why? Were they not worried about being ejected from the car if they crashed? Had they not seen Grey's Anatomy?

I feel naked without my seatbelt. I click it in place the second I sit down. I won't move my car unless everyone is buckled in. I don't care if you don't like seatbelts. You'll wear one in my car.

I also spotted tiny kids in the front seat. I'm talking under five. In the front seat. I'm sorry, but that's not safe. My son, who is 11, is STILL not allowed to be in the front seat. I HAVE seen Grey's Anatomy, I know kids can easily go through a windshield if they aren't tall enough. I told Tommy he can ride up front when he's 13. Maybe I'm being overprotective. But I'd rather he didn't get tossed through the windshield if it's all the same...

And SMALL kids. What the crap? Don't States have laws about that? How can someone tell their three-year-old, "Yes, sit up front with me," and not WORRY? We passed a car where this tiny kid was up front. No carseat. He had a seatbelt on at least but most of it covered his face. Basically the kid would be a goner or be injured horribly if he was in a crash. I wanted to gesture to the driver, "Too small. I see there is an empty backseat. Why is your son not back there?" But, well, I've also seen the late night news and know if you gesture at drivers, sometimes they pull out a gun and blow off your head. We were in Texas, after all.

Anyway.

My kids will always wear seatbelts. And they'll remain in the backseat until I feel the front seatbelt fits them correctly.

24 comments:

  1. I'm right there with you - when I see kids bouncing all over the car I cringe!!!
    Although, I rode without a seat-belt for the first time in ages the other night - I was actually laying down in the back of our car for a 2 hour drive - oops!!!

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  2. That's completely disturbing..and illegal, I thought. I wasn't allowed in the front seat for a long time, and my kids will wait longer.
    And everyone wears a seatbelt always, or the car isn't leaving the driveway!

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  3. I watched recently the movie "Falling in love" with Meryl Streep and Robert de Niro. In one of the scenes, Robert is driving his car with his wife and kids. None of them is using seatblets! I silently opened my mouth, horrified, and then I chuckled, thinking that this movie would get a huge criticism if it was released nowadays.

    Where I am from (born in Portugal, but raised in Spain), it's illegal to do this and they would definitely be pulled over and it doesn't matter what you tell the officer, you'll get a high fine and you'll get to visit court with high charges. No kidding.

    Anyways... I've been reading ya for a while (in a non-creepy way, I promise!), I think it was about time I said hi! :-)

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  4. P.S. - Not only none of them is wearing seatbelts, but the kids are constantly disrupting the peace of their parents, jumping to the front and going back. Heh. You can imagine.

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  5. I grew up never wearing a seatbelt, thank goodness nothing ever happened to us. In fact, the pick-up that I did my drivers test in didn't even have seatbelts! Needless to say things have changed a lot! They are very strict about seatbelts here in Belgium and my kids know never to be without one.

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  6. I saw a kid in the front seat the other day. He couldn't have been more than 4. I don't get it. I thought it was common sense.

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  7. It is illegal! At least in Indiana it is anyway. Not sure about Texas. My daughter is Tommy's age and she's not allowed to ride up front either.

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  8. My 10 year old is still in a booster seat. She doesn't mind and it makes me feel safer. I have actually called the cops a few times when I see kids not properly restrained in the car. I have the number saved as "car seat" in my phone, so I can always find it when I need it.

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  9. This drives me CRAZY!! I see it all the time. Heck, I see people put their small kids in the front seat at carpool pick up. GAH!! Like Rabia, my 10 yo daughter is still in a booster seat. She's a shorty and we roll on the side of safety!! --Lisa

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  10. It's just crazy. I just hope those people won't learn a lesson the hard way.

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  11. My son was in the back seat AND a car seat/booster until he was big enough per the law of our state. On his 12th birthday, he was so excited to be allowed up front with me. I on the other hand, missed the empty seat to put all my stuff on.

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  12. I'll never understand this either. I just hope and pray nothing ever happens. Everyone wears a seat belt in my car too. It bothers me if I don't have it on.

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  13. I think I get a little more aggravated when I see them smoking with kids in the car.

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  14. When our youngest would whine about not being able to sit up front, I would just simply state that "it was the law." Of course if she was relentless, I would go on to say that "you don't want your mother in prison, do you?" hehe...

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  15. I'm 99.9% sure that it is illegal to have such a small child up front! My family would always joke that I would need a booster seat because I was too short/small to sit up front. Ha ha!

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  16. Under 5 and in the front seat? I don't think so. That is so dangerous and so ignorant for an adult to allow that!

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  17. I'm with you! My daughter didn't sit up front until she was bigger than me, and I still won't let my son (he's 12). But I looked up my state's laws just now, and I was shocked to read that there are none regarding kids in the front seat (except for infant car seats). Still, my law is enforced in my car.

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  18. This is something that also makes me crazy! Or when I see a herd of little ones crawling and walking all around the back seat area. I'm seriously always tempted to call the cops.

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  19. eeeeeee!!!! this is SO dangerous, I dont care who you are or where you live. We live in the country & We would NEVER allow this type thing, we are funny about kids jumping on the tractors so if they want tractor rides, we hitch up the trailer with sides, I'm not going to be accountable for another life, I couldnt live with myself if something happened...

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  20. In Canada they have to be a certain age or weight to be in the front seat -- due to the air bag. It can actually harm a small child if deployed. Unless your car has the added feature where you can disable the airbag on the passengers' side.

    but I would never put a kid in the front. My oldest has with his dad in a Smart Car we had borrowed for the weekend -- but it didn't have a real backseat and my son is tall for his age. But not ever in our van.
    I have a friend who lets her 4 year old daughter who is really really small for her age, ride in the back of their Ford Explorer. Like - trunk back. I have considered reporting her myself. that's just stupidity - I don't care if it is just down your little country road. dumb and dumber.

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  21. I don't think its illegal to have kids sit in the front seat under the age of 12, its just recommended that they don't. However, it IS illegal for a child under the age of 6 (or 8 in some states) to not be in a car seat or booster. And we all know that car seat manuals say that you should not use them in the front seat due to air bags. So I think the parents could get a ticket for the lack of car seat for sure.

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  22. In Japan, that seems the norm. I've even seen multiple people driving while holding a new born! A new born! At that time in their lives when you're most afraid you'll break them! Seatbelts aren't even that annoying for me, I'm just used to them.

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  23. I get you on the whole no seatbelt thing. Silly always is taking his off - something bugs him about it - damn sensory issues! I do have Buddy sit in the front with me though because he is claustrophobic and gets really nervous in the back seat. If he was back there it would be meltdown city and the amount of screaming, hitting, throwing, etc. is a safety risk. Atleast when he's next to me I can hold his hand and the worst thing he does is rock. I push the seat all the way back and he has his seatbelt on. Luckily he's tall so it fits him well.

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