local police dep't gets carseat geek seal of approval

Thanksgiving_Twins_Mom · Sep 21, 2010

Sometimes the law *does* catch up with drivers transporting unrestrained kids. From a local paper police blotter:

No seat belts, 9/02/10 Police pulled over a 48-year-old Moraga resident with six children in the bed of a pick up truck, along with three children in the front seat not wearing their seat belts near Moraga Road and Corliss Drive. Although none of the kids had a seat belt on, the mature driver was wearing one. The subject told cops she was providing a quick lift to the pals of her daughter. She was ticketed for nine violations of parental duties to have a child between 7 and 14 securely fastened in a seat restraint system. While the cop remained at the scene of the crime with the kids, the mom went home and retrieved a van to transport the kids home.

Can't help wondering - if she had a van at home, why was she driving all those kids in a pickup?

Evolily · Sep 21, 2010

Unless she has, at least, a 10 passenger van they wouldn't fit in the van, either. Although, I must say, if a child must be unrestrained I'd prefer them contained in a vehicle than in a truck bed.

She probably sees nothing wrong with it. I road in truck beds quite a bit as a kid. Maybe it's cultural, but no one, at any time, said anything about safety.

Defrost · Sep 21, 2010

In some states it's still legal. Like mine.

The most they could have done here would be to ticket her for the unused seat belts - so two tickets. And they'd have had to let her drive off with the rest in the bed of the truck, as long as all the seat belts were in use.

mommy-medic · Sep 21, 2010

Sadly my state law is written in such a way that parents are only in violation of child passenger laws if the child is not properly restrained in a vehicle seat. Motorcycles and beds of pick up trucks are not designed to be a child passenger location, so child passenger law violations don't apply to anyone riding in those positions. :thumbsdown:

Glad to hear the cops caught up to her, and actually enforced their safety laws, as well as cited the mom though! :thumbsup:

katieskrew · Sep 21, 2010

Being knew here I hate to go against (well not really against) the majority. I can kinda see how this could happen even in my small town. Maybe she was coming home from the store (or anywhere) in the pick-up truck and her daughter and friends were walking home and the mom offered them a ride and told them all just to jump in. Now, I in NO way think this is RIGHT nor would I EVER do it now, but I remember doing this as a kid several times that I can remember....was it safe? NO! But I can see how it could have been an innocent "Hey, jump in and I will give you all a quick ride home" kind of deal. AGAIN, I am not saying it's right or even OK.

ETA: I am also glad she was caught! I know things like this happen alot in our small town, even driving through town I have seen kids in the back of trucks. Very sad. These parents need educated!!

skylinphoto · Sep 21, 2010

I live in a rural small town and this happens all the time. No one cares either..
It makes me kinda sick to see tiny kids riding around in the back of pick up trucks but the police wouldnt enfore anything about it ever. lol.

Glad to see the police did something about the lady though.

I think I'm the ONLY person in my town that ERF and EH. Most kids are in booster by the time they're 2, sometimes younger. Lots of FFing infant carriers. Stuff like that.

katieskrew · Sep 21, 2010

skylinphoto said:
I live in a rural small town and this happens all the time. No one cares either..
It makes me kinda sick to see tiny kids riding around in the back of pick up trucks but the police wouldnt enfore anything about it ever. lol.

Glad to see the police did something about the lady though.

I think I'm the ONLY person in my town that ERF and EH. Most kids are in booster by the time they're 2, sometimes younger. Lots of FFing infant carriers. Stuff like that.

Same here. Most people look at me like I am nuts because I still have my almost 4 year olds harnessed and even more

because my 5 year old is still in a high back booster.

local police dep't gets carseat geek seal of approval

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