kids sitting in traffic

adouglasmhor

You and your kids are OK now, the guy sounds like he is more than lacking in social skills but meant well. Let it go.

nzmegs

I have to admit that I would behave in a similar way to the man. I just get so angry when I see children being put into dangerous situations. it is so simple to keep them safe and to allow them to be in an unsafe situation is neglect I am afraid.
I can say that our children have never (and I mean never) taken their seatbelts off at any time because we have made absolutely sure they know the consequences of doing it. In fact they will cry and get very nervous if my husband so much as starts up the van without them being properly belted up. They believe they will be injured and if you think about it, they could be....
I was in a B&Q carpark the other day and two men had a toddler (about 18months) with them who they allowed to wander the carpark while they loaded the car. it wasn't until the little boy had walked into the stream of traffic and brought cars to a halt and I had lept from my car did they realise he had wandered off. Obviously this is an extreme case but it shows that sometimes people need to step in when they feel something is wrong for the sake of the children and if it upsets the parents then they just have to deal with it and hopefully change.

LilMissEmmylou

I too would be greatful for a decent person watching out for my kids. In this day and age so many people see things which are wrong and dangerous (i.e. parents letting their kids sit in cars with no seat belt on!!!) and do nothing. There should be more people like that man, so i applaud him! Although he could have had more tact in how he approached the situation, he still was the one in the right in this situation if u ask me.

bestpud

I'm another one who hates to see kids without belts!

They did an initiative here a few years ago, where the police turned up outside the schools over a period of time and just checked all the children arriving by car were belted in. They didn't give fines or anything - just a warning of the danger they are placing their children in, but oh boy, you should have heard the moaning from some of the parents.

One even ranted that she would never get her children to school on time if she had to persuade them to keep belts on, and were the police going to explain why they were late and then why she was late for work!!

We were stuck for the best part of three hours on the M5 a few weeks ago and the only time dd (or either of us for that matter) took our belts off was while I was trying to get her pee aimed at the inside of a crisp bag!!

What if an emergency vehicle had needed to get through and you'd been forced to mount the pavement or swerve to let them by? Ok, it wouldn't have been enough to throw them from the car, but they could still get quite a nasty bump if caught off balance.

That said, I wouldn't have banged on your car window! :eek: I would have got the message to you via 'sign language' though, that your kids should be belted in, and I'd also have indicated I thought you were a prat!

Banging on the window is out of order, but if he was a police officer it makes more sense.

Basically though, make them keep their belts on. If you drum it into them enough, they won't even entertain the idea of not wearing them while sat in the car - it becomes automatic to them.

inkie

Start as you mean to go on with car safety. Ours have known from a very early age have known that not having a seatbelt on in a car is an absolute no. They have never taken them off during any journey because of this. I cringe when I see people holding babies in car, kids jumping about on the back seat etc... It's just not worth it.

Bottom line is that if the kids had been safely restrained then there would have not been any requirement to point this out, my any means.

vwcampervan72

Bestpud was you in the traffic for the fatal accident at the services?? If so, so was we

Left Bude at 1.30pm got to home 11.30pm (midlands)

and NEVER did my kids take their seatbelts off!!

notlongnow_2

I think he was right although shouldnt have been so agressive. My kids fight constantly and car journeys are a nightmare but theres NO way id ever allow them to take off their seatbelts. Wether stuck in traffic or not...never.

Zoetoes

I understand you being stressed, stuck in traffic, the kids fighting, you just want to get home... but what I would have done is told them to get their seatbelts back on quick and if they didn't I would have put the handbrake on and got out and done it myself and probably 'belted' them aswell!

You don't say how old your kids are but if they're old enough to be able to take their seatbelts off they're probably old enough to know they shouldn't.

My kids wouldn't dream of not having their belts on, it's been the norm for them since day one.

A friend of mine though often drives her kids without a belt on and sometimes even standing up and messing around while she's driving.

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi OP

I hate seeing children in the car without seatbelts on whether stationary or not. There was a local accident a few years back when a 2yr old didnt have her seatbelt on. A car crashed into the back of them (they were stationary) and she smashed through the windowscreen and she was in the back seat-she died!

I get very annoyed when I see STUPID mothers sitting their babies on their laps in cars. I'm afraid I am vocal about it or sign at them to put the babies in a car seat. They are knowingly (sp) putting their children at risk and it's a form of abuse in my eyes!

OP if I saw children in the back of a car with no seat belts on and messing around I would of said something too. I would of also taken registration details and a possible picture. I am sorry, but its something that really needs to be adressed.

If adults choose to not put seat belts on, thats up to them and their choice. Kids do as they are told, so you tell them to be safe and if you dont and something happens, then its your fault as an irresponsible parent/adult!

PP
xx

bestpud

vwcampervan72 wrote: »

Bestpud was you in the traffic for the fatal accident at the services?? If so, so was we

Left Bude at 1.30pm got to home 11.30pm (midlands)

and NEVER did my kids take their seatbelts off!!

It was an accident, yes, just after junction 30 or 31 (can't recall which one but there are services on it), going south, on July 26th - is that the same one?

We got caught again going home though - a fire that time, we assume, as there were fire engines going that way. Being wiser, we got off quick though and followed an 'A' road for a while before getting back on by Bristol. That was the 2nd August.