Car seat hysteria?

[disneysteve]

I'm a parent, a doctor and a car seat/seat belt fanatic. I can't comprehend anyone putting convenience or comfort over safety. Two quick stories.

We were on a Disney bus coming home from the parks one nite. A young child, maybe 3 or 4, was seated on the aisle and leaning in against his parent. I guess he was sleeping. Bus goes around a turn and the kid slides right off the seat and crashes on the floor. No serious injury fortunately, but that was just during normal driving, not an accident.

8/21/02 DW and DD were in a bad accident. DD was knocked unconscious and suffered serious facial trauma. But at the trauma center and at Children's Hospital where she was transferred, everyone commended us on having her properly restrained in a booster seat and seatbelt. They said given the type of accident, she probably would have been killed otherwise. The ER doctor even had us consent to have DD's abdomen and pelvis photographed because her bruises showed that she was properly belted in. She said the vast majority of kids that come through the ER are not properly restrained and suffer much more serious injuries as a result.

Sure, I grew up sleeping on the backseat and steering on Dad's lap, but just because we did something years ago, doesn't mean it's still okay to do knowing what we know today. Protect your kids, even if that means putting an 8-year-old in a booster seat or embarrasing them in front of their friends.

 

[lulugirl]

I'm a parent, a doctor and a car seat/seat belt fanatic. I can't comprehend anyone putting convenience or comfort over safety. Two quick stories.

We were on a Disney bus coming home from the parks one nite. A young child, maybe 3 or 4, was seated on the aisle and leaning in against his parent. I guess he was sleeping. Bus goes around a turn and the kid slides right off the seat and crashes on the floor. No serious injury fortunately, but that was just during normal driving, not an accident.

8/21/02 DW and DD were in a bad accident. DD was knocked unconscious and suffered serious facial trauma. But at the trauma center and at Children's Hospital where she was transferred, everyone commended us on having her properly restrained in a booster seat and seatbelt. They said given the type of accident, she probably would have been killed otherwise. The ER doctor even had us consent to have DD's abdomen and pelvis photographed because her bruises showed that she was properly belted in. She said the vast majority of kids that come through the ER are not properly restrained and suffer much more serious injuries as a result.

Sure, I grew up sleeping on the backseat and steering on Dad's lap, but just because we did something years ago, doesn't mean it's still okay to do knowing what we know today. Protect your kids, even if that means putting an 8-year-old in a booster seat or embarrasing them in front of their friends.

Excellent post. I guess what some consider "hysteria" others consider responsible parenting.

 

[WonderfulDreamer2]

I can remember sleeping during our trips from Jacksonville to Ocala, Fl - just over 2 hours... in the back of the truck, in a lounge chair, with blankets!

I have strapped my kids in their seatbelts (no longer in boosters) and let them lie over, on the pillow, and sleep most of our early driving. It's the only time I can drive with out distractions/refereeing, etc!

Hey, I grew up in Jax too. Graduated from Jackson in '85. Just wanted to say "HI".

 

[Mickey Fliers]

I certainly believe in the validity of car seat safety, and I will abide by any safety seat law my state wants to pass; however, school buses don't have seat belts (let alone boosters for Kindergarteners) and people put their kids on those for sometimes up to 1 1/2 hours every day.

We can find danger lurking in every situation, but just like with everything else, a little common sense and moderation is in order. I certainly won't be up in arms about ME buses not providing safety seats or seat belts, especially since it is free.

ETA: We usually take a car service or rent our own. In that case, my DS 3 will have his safety seat.

 

[disneysteve]

school buses don't have seat belts (let alone boosters for Kindergarteners) and people put their kids on those for sometimes up to 1 1/2 hours every day.

School buses here HAVE seat belts.

They don't have booster seats but they don't need them either because the seat belts are lap belts only.

 

[RadioNate]

I'm a parent, a doctor and a car seat/seat belt fanatic. I can't comprehend anyone putting convenience or comfort over safety. Two quick stories.

We were on a Disney bus coming home from the parks one nite. A young child, maybe 3 or 4, was seated on the aisle and leaning in against his parent. I guess he was sleeping. Bus goes around a turn and the kid slides right off the seat and crashes on the floor. No serious injury fortunately, but that was just during normal driving, not an accident.

8/21/02 DW and DD were in a bad accident. DD was knocked unconscious and suffered serious facial trauma. But at the trauma center and at Children's Hospital where she was transferred, everyone commended us on having her properly restrained in a booster seat and seatbelt. They said given the type of accident, she probably would have been killed otherwise. The ER doctor even had us consent to have DD's abdomen and pelvis photographed because her bruises showed that she was properly belted in. She said the vast majority of kids that come through the ER are not properly restrained and suffer much more serious injuries as a result.

Sure, I grew up sleeping on the backseat and steering on Dad's lap, but just because we did something years ago, doesn't mean it's still okay to do knowing what we know today. Protect your kids, even if that means putting an 8-year-old in a booster seat or embarrasing them in front of their friends.

As another parent who would have certainly lost a child had it not been for their car seat, thank you for saying what I wanted to.

Busses are an entirely different beast. Their overall compartimental seating design, weight, color and the fact that they generally travel at lower speeds make their dynamics very different than regular cars. You can't really compair bus and car safety standards.

Auto accidents are the thing MOST LIKELY to kill your child. Not illness, not disease, not some crazy peodiphile.

 

[lbgraves]

I guess that I have made the kids realize that they will be in boosters until 8 & 80. DS gets upset when he sees kids riding in the front seat of cars in the morning when I take them to school. He knows that the kids don't have boosters up there & they are not safe if they get in an accident. The problem with a 7 yo is getting him to just talk to me about this & not tell his friends that they are in danger.

 

[tiggger1]

I can remember sleeping during our trips from Jacksonville to Ocala, Fl - just over 2 hours... in the back of the truck, in a lounge chair, with blankets!

I have strapped my kids in their seatbelts (no longer in boosters) and let them lie over, on the pillow, and sleep most of our early driving. It's the only time I can drive with out distractions/refereeing, etc!

We used to go to the beach in the back of my friends father's pick up. We would take a blow up raft. fill it with water and sit it our "pool" on the way to the beach.....

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Of course I have great memories of traveling by car when I was growing up and being able to move around, being in back of the station wagon, etc. It really was a lot more fun not being so confined.

It's obvious, though, that my friend who was thrown from a truck (and run over by that truck ) and died when she was young because she wasn't restrained isn't around to tell her stories. So those who didn't live can't tell the dangers of not being properly restrained.

Yes, I will put my 6yo son in a booster until he is the proper age and size to just use a shoulder belt (he's close now). My son doesn't question the use of a booster (or carseat when he was younger) because it's all that he's ever known.

No, I wouldn't refuse to ride DME because of the seatbelt issue and there are not seatbelts on his school bus.

 

[aprilgail2]

I certainly believe in the validity of car seat safety, and I will abide by any safety seat law my state wants to pass; however, school buses don't have seat belts (let alone boosters for Kindergarteners) and people put their kids on those for sometimes up to 1 1/2 hours every day.

.

Wow, don't know where you live but the school buses here all have seat belts and the kids must use them! I would have her driven to school if they did not.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I wouldn't dream of letting my kids travel the way I did.

My mom put the baby mattress in the back seat so we could lie down. We were armed for shooting in the event of a crash--straight the windshield LOL. I hated it actually b/c i couldn't sit b/c my head would touch the ceiling. What was she thinking???? LOL.

So no baby mattresses for my girls.


Though---they are no more in danger on Magical Express than mom and dad are.

And I am SORRY---but how is ME any different from the WDW busses??? Just b/c it is on Disney propery doesn't make it any more or less safe. Those busses can get up to 45-50 mph depending on where they are traveling.

The hysteria over ME busses and car seats is rediculous. What exactly do they plan on doing when it is time to take the bus to EPCOT?

 

[DisneyPhD]

Here it's 8 or 80lbs whichever comes last. That means that my almost 4 year old will be out of it before my almost 6 year old. My 6 year old will probably be in a carseat until she's taking her drivers test.

Yes, I too miss those family roadtrips where I just piled in, pillows, blankets and all and slept the whole way. Those were the days!

Remember the "way back" in the staion wagons? I used to love long road trips. We had a whole party back there. Now my kids sit firmly strapped in, wacthing a DVD player, playing with a leap pad or coloring some travel activity pack.


If they had some same car seat laws I would too would be able to drive before getting out of a car seat. Heck I weighted 93 pounds when I got married.

My kids I am guessing will be the same way. My 20 month old is still under 20 pounds. I turned her car seat around shortly after she turned 1 year old with my Doc's full permsion. I did the same thing with my older DD.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

OH and posting as my daughter is used to waiting until she is big enough for things.

We have the height minimums for the mountains and roller coasters at Disney marked on her growth chart.

She understands for safety, she will have to be big enough.

Same approach for the booster--when she's big enough, then she no longer has to use it.

 

[Stacerita]

My mother is big on car seat hysteria. She thinks kids should be in car seats till they get there driving permit. Ok, maybe not that long, but a heck of a long time. And if I remind her how she used to let us travel in cars.....horror!! She denies a lot of it though. But we survived.

One of my fave stories was one my friend gave me. When she was young, her parents had a van. Not a mini van with lots of seats, an old van with just two seats for driver and shotgun. So her parents tossed a bunch of bean bag chairs in the back for the kids to sit on. She said everytime they stopped hard, sped up, or turned, they would go sliding all over the back of that van. And all without a car seat.

 

[stacie_d]

Here in WV, kids have to be in a booster until they are either 8 years old OR 4'9". My DS is 6, soon to be 7, and he is the tallest boy in his class. There is no way he will be 4'9" within the next 13 months. I was just getting use to the idea of taking him out of his booster when they passed the new law. I think it is excessive, and don't really agree with it. But, I will abide by it. My biggest problem with the new law is the lack of a weight consideration. There are some kids, who by the time they reach the age limit, could exceed the recommended weigh limit for the booster. Not sure if there have been any studies on that...but I wonder what could happen if that was the case.

I completely agree with having child restraint/seat belt laws. However, I think the states need to allow the parents a bit of discretion in deciding when their child no longer needs a booster. The problem is drawing the line as to when.

I also wonder what happens when you cross a state line? We live close to PA, and I have no idea what their law is. But, if a PA car comes into WV, they presumably have to follow the booster law as well, even if it is more restrictive than their own state's law.

 

[Southern4sure]

I think the majority of us (at least I am) are not saying we do/did not use car seats, booster seats and seatbelts in todays day and age. Just saying how it was back when we were kids. My kids have always been in proper safety restraints and know they MUST use seatbelts at all times. It is a habit for them now.

 

[cepmom]

no seatbelts on school busses here either.....I drive my girls to school though so it's not a concern for me. Both my girls are technically beyond the requirements for needing a booster seat ~ here in MA the law says kids under 5 need to be in a booster ~ DD8 has been too big to fit into a booster seat for a while now. She physically can not fit inside the seat plus it makes her too tall and her head is way above the back of the high back booster (which also can be dangerous in the event of an accident) but she is under the height and weight limits receommended by car seat manufacturers. I can't imagine her being in a booster seat until she is 100 lbs!!

Although my DD8 is too big for a booster DD5 is still in her booster seat and will be for a while ~ she is smaller than her sister was at the same age. She understands that when she is big enough ~ not old enough ~ she will be able to sit in the car without a booster.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

I am surprised to hear that some places DO have seatbelts on school buses. I just assumed that that all school buses were missing that important safety feature. That's great that some places are finally catching up . Maybe someday, we will catch up. Funny thing, the driver has a safety belt . I drive my kids to school, only b/c the bus ride here is so darn long.

As far a Disney buses, or any other mode of public transportation goes, I won't stop using it just b/c there is a lack of seat belts. We have to ride the subway when we go to NY and we ride the buses and monorail when we go to WDW.

 

[makinorlando]

We didn't need a tv because we could move around and play games in the car on long trips, we had the wayback of the old stationwagon. My Dad would put a pile of blankets down and we would camp out in the back. We had all kinds of great games to play but now with everyone being belted into the seats, you can't move around like that, so TV's are nice!

Me too! I was the only one travelling with my parents and I had "condo" in the back of our station wagon. Cot mattress for comfort - pillow, blankets, coloring books, etc. etc. I think that was one of the things that made the vacation "special". My dad was one of those who would leave at "O"dark:30 to go on our trips, so I would crawl from bed in my bedroom on wheels that had been prepared the night before!!!

I'm glad that my DD never minded her carseat, but we are way past that and the booster seat now!

 

[Nancy]

School buses here HAVE seat belts.

They don't have booster seats but they don't need them either because the seat belts are lap belts only.

Our busses have belts too...BUT the kids are NOT allowed to use them! They are told it takes to long to get the kids into them and that holds up the morning pickups. (Cause the bus wouldn't be able to pull away until all were belted in)

I'm all for safety with my kids, they all belted in but back when they were little they were out of car seats and boosters by 4 yrs.old. Now if the laws were different back then, I'd be following them because that is what I do.

But sometimes on vacation you have to be able to go with the flow a little bit.

Another thing...those bus seats at Disney...I've almost slid off of them a few times...they are slippery little suckers!