When did carseat use become mandatory?

[DahliaRW]

Dh and I were born in 1980 and 1979 respectively and we both had car seats as babies that we remember. Dh's grandmother held him on the way home from the hospital, though!

I remember the seat I had as a baby. It rf'd until 6 months or so and then ff for another year or two. After that I was in some sort of booster seat where the belt fed through the padded bar thing in front that lifted up and down to get in and out. I was out of that by kindergarten for sure. I remember I liked sitting in the middle with the lap only belt because the lap/shoulder combo on the side dug into my abdomen and neck.

 

[luckyclov]

I was born in '78 and I have no memory (or picture evidence) of any sort of carseat. I know my parents used this bouncer-looking thing in car (and also in the house), but it didn't even have a chest/shoulder harness, just a hip strap/buckle. We lived in CA at the time. However, my mom made me ride in the backseat until I was 15. She figured since I had my learner's permit, it would be prudent to allow me up front at that point. Seriously.

 

[christineka]

My brother was born in 1976 and had an infant seat. I assume that I rode in it as well. (1978)When I was about 3 or 4 there were new recommendations out that kids should ride in boosters. Mom went out and bought two- one for me and one for my younger brother. Mine was blue and my brother's was brown. I wonder now if perhaps she bought table boosters.

 

[abbi_n_nadia]

I was born in 86 and I had some sort of little seat but I'm not sure it was meant as a carseat or not. There's lots of pics of it so I'll have to scan and post them some time. When I was older I do remember riding in a carseat but it sat on the floor of our big van in between the two front seats. Ha!

 

[skaterbabs]

I think the first law was passed in '78, based on what I learned at the anniversary thing AAA had in Jan. '08.

 

[StillThankful]

But I'd say I was only restrained maybe half the time I was in the car, I remember lying down, standing on the floor board, riding in the back of a hatchback or pickup truck, buckled in the front seat with the shoulderbelt under my arm, usually not buckled in the back seat till as late as the mid-90's.

Ditto.

I was born in 1973. My mom told me that I had an infant seat but after that nothing. I remember riding in the back seat with the seatbelt (if at all). I remember knowing the "unwritten rule"--so I thought--that if you sat in the back seat you didn't need a seat belt.

 

[jasminegrl]

my parents had an infant seat for me I was born in, however it looked like a baby bathtub, I do remember have other seats as I got older.

 

[ConnorsMommy]

I was born in 1980. My mom says I was in a car seat until I was 5 because I was so small. I do not remember it though. I do vaguely remember a over head shield type car seat with a metal frame and a red plaid vinyl cover (If anyone knows what that one was, please let me know) but I'm not sure if it was mine or my sister or brother's. I do remember my youngest sister, who was born in 92, having an infant seat and a overhead shield seat. My grandma bought the seat, which at the time was one of the better seats. I remember it had gray fabric and I think maybe a gray shell.
I remember when I was around 12 or so hearing that kids had to use a car seat until 4 and 40 lbs, then could use a seat belt. My grandma had a booster seat for my cousin, but I don't remember ever using one myself. Once we were out of car seats, my parents were strict about us always buckling up, but we often double buckled or used just a lap belt. We were never in an accident.

 

[Mommy2Marcus]

I was born in 1985. I know I rode in a seat on the way home from the hospital & untill I was around 3-4 from talking to my mom. Although I have no memory of ever sitting in one. I do however remember laying down in the back seat to sleep while taking long trips.

My mom says she knows now that she took us out of seats way to soon. She is also very glad we were never in a wreck with the knowledge she has now of seats.

 

[mlohry]

I was born in 73' and came home from the hospital RF in an odd looking bucket type thing, it was a 3 pt harness, I remember them being around for a long time because I remember a baby we knew had one and I was probably 8. Then I had that GM 5 pt harness one, I rode in that until I was like 5 or 6, since I couldn't see out the window without it. I guess those were the 1st ever approved seats made, my mom said they were pricey, my grandparents bought them. My mom wouldn't even allow me to ride with my aunt who didn't have a car seat for me I know my cousins who were about the same age as me didn't have them and my DH and his sibs didn't have anything, even after his sister was killed in a car accident when she was ejected from their truck and it almost killed his other sister in 72', my DH was born in 73'. I always think I get my car seat obsession from ALWAYS being restrained safely. I have posted a pic of me in the GM, but the harness was hanging off my shoulders, but my mom swears I had it buckled while moving????

 

[Evolily]

I was born in 86, had a car seat from birth until I outgrew the shield booster at the (oh so old) age of 4. Which was probably pretty old for the time. I have fond memories of that booster. I understand that I went through three seats, a rear facing seat for the first several months, a forward facing harness seat for a year or two, and then a shield booster. My cousin (3 months younger than me) sat on the center counsel. There was a campaign to have kids ride in the back, so I mostly road in the back until I was maybe 10 or so.

I also remember sleeping laying down on the bench on road trips, being unbuckled, being doublebuckled, riding in truck beds . So seat belt/car seat use wasn't a universal thing (my mother only started using hers a few years ago, after I pointed out that her body would be a projectile in a crash). But when I was very small I was in something, if for no other reason than to have a place to put me. And I was always in the back.

 

[jeminijad]

Laws? Totally irrelevant when I was growing up

I was out of a seat by about age 2 (born in 83, rural East Texas.) My parents weren't particularly concerned about us buckling up in the back seat either... we had accidents, too, but they happened in pickups where there was at least a lap belt and were not frontal collisions.

 

[J-max]

I was born in 80 and had one of those vinyl shield carseats, then a shield booster. My mom even had a Britax seat for my 2 youngest siblings Born in 88 & 92). So part of my carseat crazyness comes from her - but they also let us ride in the pickup canopy or in the 'burban with seats down into a bed on long trip, LOL so it goes both ways!