I saw a 2-3 yo DRIVING today!

[HappyMommy2]

In one city where we used to live, they had a 1-800 number you could call to report people who were driving without their kids properly restrained. I called that hotline several times--you give the license plate info and supposedly the offending parents will receive some type of stern letter reminding them to buckle/carseat their kids. I don't know if this ever did any good but at least it was something.

My MIL feels sorry for my kids because they ALWAYS have to ride in their carseats. She says, "Well, WE all survived just fine, and WE never rode in carseats, did we?"

Anyhow, about the original post--my DH let our DS "drive" on his lap in an empty parking lot once, and that wasn't a big deal, but I can't imagine letting a child "drive" where there are any cars or other obstacles at all. Yikes!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Oh, the bicycles! When I was a kid, I remember when my oldest sister fell off her bike. She was riding with my older sister, each on their own bikes, and a dog came running out into the street. Scared her half to death, she fell hitting her head on the pavement. Went to the hospital and stayed because of a concussion. The "good old days" of no helmets.

Kids on the lap driving? No way!! Luckily, my dad had common sense and never did this with any of us. I've never done it with my son and won't. And I must have a REALLY great kid, because he has NEVER unbuckled his seatbelt when we're moving. On the rare occasions when he was little and didn't want to wear it, he was told that the car doesn't move until that seatbelt is locked. I had to hear it. There were times we just sat a few minutes until he hooked it. I had a friend whose son used to unhook it as she was driving. She did the right thing in my book...pulled off the road and sat there until it was hooked again.

 

[disneyfan551]

Ok, here's some info. from my dh... (just a portion, I can't type as fast as he talks! ) Basically it depends on the age, but a child must be in a child restraint (a seatbelt, for older kids) up until a certain age, when in a public vehicular area. This even includes a cul-de-sac. If it is a gated, closed off area, then this is not considered to be a public vehicular area and restraints are not required. In NC, I believe the age is 16 and any violations are $150 and 2 points on your license, and points on your insurance. A small price to pay, when the restraints could be saving your child's life. It's not a risk I'm willing to take.

 

[leahannpen]

Originally posted by disneyfan551
Why risk the life of a child just to do something they might like?

Makes perfect sense to me. Back when "we" were kids we didn't have air bags, car seats, car seat laws and such to help make us safer. (I do remember my dad letting me "drive"). BUT now we have things to help us keep our precious cargo safer. Why risk it?

 

[MICKEY88]

Originally posted by hrh_disney_queen
This is a totally honest question, there are so many laws out there, but.....Does anyone know if it is against any law for a child to sit on the lap of a driver while on a road...This would include a cul-de-sac....??

IN PA... children up to a certain age and size must be in a car safety seat in the back of the car..after that point they must be wearing a seatbelt in the back of the car..then at a certain age they may right in the front passenger seat with a seat belt...

so I guess at a certain age they could sit on the drivers lap as long as the driver sits in the passenger seat and they wear the seat belt....

 

[MICKEY88]

Originally posted by MHopkins2
Another vote here for interstate = bad but cul de sac = no big whoop. Just because we're all on fire about "safety" "these days" doesn't mean all of the new beliefs are 100% correct. I think we overreact to any number of things, and the posts on this thread are just one more example.

the new beliefs might not all be correct, but it has been established as fact that the force of an air bag deploying will kill a child seated in the front seat of a car..even low speed driving in a cul de sac would be enough to deploy an airbag if something went wrong..

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Originally posted by disneyfan551
Why risk the life of a child just to do something they might like? My 2yo would love a strawberry daicquiri too, but I'm sure not going to give her one! Just take them to an amusement park and let them drive bumper cars! It doesn't take alot to amuse a child.

ITA with you disneyfan551. A two year old would get the same thrill out of being pulled around in a wagon. The thrill of this behavior is for the adult driving the car...

 

[Cruise04]

I totally absolutely agree with you.. Airbags are made to go off at a VERY low impact. Can you imagine what that would do to a child sitting on the driver's lap? And there is NO way you could anticipate an accident, that's why they call them ACCIDENTS.

And you never know when that kid is going to accidentally slip off the lap and divert the driver into, oh possibly, a tree or street sign or another car. Even if you are in a cul-de-sac, accidents can happen within feet from our own driveways. And I totally agree regarding the airbags.....aren't they made to go off at impacts of 20mph or less?????? Some are I believe and even now you have cars with side impact - and some cars that side impact means a few inches from the front bumper.

Does anger me when I see kids standing in the back holding onto the front seat headrests too!!!!!!

And I'm a person that use to drink and drive - until I took a curve doing 75 and almost killed my brother and myself. I was 17!!!

 

[Aimeedyan]

It blows my mind that parents risk the LIFE of their precious children just because some child WANTED to do something. WHO CARES WHAT THEY WANT! They are CHILDREN and were given parents for a reason.

Your child most likely WILL be killed if the airbag deploys if they are sitting in front of it - why risk that just to ride around in a cul de sac? Is it really worth the thrill? YOu can not predict what will happen. What if someone comes plowing through your cul-de-sac while you're going this? Do you really have time to stop and get out and buckle them in before that car comes near you? Longshot, but one afternoon the police came racing into my IL's culdesac following a fleeing driver, who slammed through cars, mailboxes, and anything else in their way. Slim chance something like that would happen, but how can you be sure? And is it worth it?

I called 911 a few weeks ago when I passed an Expedition twice that had a small child in the passengers lap in the front seat. The car was packed with people, and they placed this about 4 yo in the front seat on someones lap, at times they were pushing 85 on I35 through Austin. Many will know just how dangerous that stretch is on a normal day at the speed limit. It disgusted me.

When I was a preschooler, my mom had a sweet young mom come and clean our home. She had a 6 week old baby boy, and one day on her way home from our house, her baby began to scream and cry in the backseat. After trying to console him while driving, she finally pulled him out of his seat and into her lap for the rest of the drive home. She was rearended at a stop sign, low speed and all, the child slammed his head into the door upon impact and killed him. my mom continues to tell me that a child can scream and whine and cry and beg but they will NEVER EVER leave a restrained seat while in a car on the road. NEVER. I live by her convictions as well...

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Originally posted by MHopkins2
Another vote here for interstate = bad but cul de sac = no big whoop. Just because we're all on fire about "safety" "these days" doesn't mean all of the new beliefs are 100% correct. I think we overreact to any number of things, and the posts on this thread are just one more example.

Thank God I am a hysterical overreacting parent who will never have to worry about killing her own child by allowing him to ride on my lap in the front seat of my car while driving. That's one worry down, a zillion to go...

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

This thread is making me laugh.

What if this happens.............
What it that happens...............

I'm glad I'm not so paranoid about the what ifs in life that I actually let my children enjoy being kids.

Lori

 

[MHopkins2]

Originally posted by MICKEY88
the new beliefs might not all be correct, but it has been established as fact that the force of an air bag deploying will kill a child seated in the front seat of a car..even low speed driving in a cul de sac would be enough to deploy an airbag if something went wrong..

You are of course right - the child could die. Of course, s/he could also die at any time from a pulmonary embolism. Every time the two of you cross the street, firmly holding hands, "child leash" strapped on, both of you could get squashed by a car. Etc., etc., etc. I don't live my life based on trying to avoid the worst that could happen. If someone else wants to, that's their choice.

 

[Bojangles]

Originally posted by MHopkins2
Of course, s/he could also die at any time from a pulmonary embolism.

Apples vs. Oranges. The "what if" scenarios brought about by placing an unrestrained child on your lap in the front seat of a vehicle are completely preventable. It is the parent's choice to put a child in that situation.

 

[KimRaye]

But, would you purposely risk their lives for a "joy ride"?

Also, the event I witnessed was not on a cul de sac. It was on a 30mph side street leading to a busier street, which this 'twosome' then turned onto.

It's against the law, period.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

IMO it's a sad world we live in today and I am so thankful that I am not a kid.

 

[AirForceRocks]

Originally posted by pirateofthecarolinas
This thread is making me laugh.

What if this happens.............
What it that happens...............

I'm glad I'm not so paranoid about the what ifs in life that I actually let my children enjoy being kids.

Lori

 

[Tinkerbelle739]

Just last night DH and I saw a big '70s car loaded with kids in the back, no seat belts. There was a woman driving, a 4-5 year old in the middle, no seat belt (couldnt tell really) and a woman in the passenger seat breast feeding an infant!

I just dont understand what people are thinking!!

 

[disneyfan551]

I saw a car filled with kids of all sizes, not in car seats, when we stopped at a rest stop on our way to Florida. I immediately went to tell the Highway Patrolman that was sitting at that rest area. If people don't care enough to take care of their children, and follow the proper laws, then they don't deserve to have them.

I spent too many years going through infertility treatments, to risk my dear childs life for a joy ride.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Originally posted by pirateofthecarolinas
This thread is making me laugh.

What if this happens.............
What it that happens...............

I'm glad I'm not so paranoid about the what ifs in life that I actually let my children enjoy being kids.

Lori

My kids have plenty of fun doing child appropriate activity. Driving a car is not a child appropriate activity, and a totally unnecessary risk. Like others have posted, there are plenty of unavoidable risks out there, letting a child drive a car like this is a risk that is completely avoidable by parents with good judgement. Besides that it is illegal. Isn't that reason enough?

 

[AirForceRocks]

My kids have plenty of fun doing child appropriate activity.

As do mine, but these also carry risks.

Riding their bikes? OMG, they could be hit by a car!

Climbing on the monkey bars? But what if they fall off and hit their head on a rock?

My kids are in more danger riding buckled in in the back seat when I'm doing 70 MPH on the interstate than they were sitting on my lap and taking a spin around the cul-de-sac at 10 MPH.