Going without a seat in an emergency?

robbertbobbert · Mar 10, 2011

I was reading on another thread people mentioning skipping a car seat in an absolute emergency, like a volcano. Makes sense.

What would be the line you'd have to get to before you'd do that? Has anyone had to?

Dillipop · Mar 10, 2011

Zombies or werewolves?

Real life- fire that didn't leave time for seats, volcano, being in the ghetto when gunfire breaks out.

Jennee · Mar 10, 2011

when dawson was like 4 months old we called 911 for a chimney fire and I had to move our van to a spot that it wouldnt be in the way, I wasnt leaving him alone in the house even though it was just the chimney and I didnt have time to buckle him in his seat so I set him in with out buckling him and moved it but I never left the driveway.
so I guess my answer would be any situation that didnt allow time to put them in but even then they are both old enough to buckle themselves in a regular seatbelt.

Lys · Mar 10, 2011

I did this once! And, hope to never do it again. AND, only because the ER was 2 miles away.

I drove my then 2yo DD2 to the ER not only not in a seat, but also in the front seat of the car. Only because my mom had to stay home with my older 2 kids and there was no way for me to put pressure on the 2" profusely bleeding cut DD had on her eyelid from the cat.

carseatcoach · Mar 10, 2011

The line is different with my 65# 9yo than it would be with a newborn, but it's still much closer to "call 911" than "I really want some french fries right now".

hrice · Mar 10, 2011

I thought about this the other day. The ER is literally 2 minutes from my front door. It would take longer to call EMS and wait for them to show up than it would for us to just hop in the car and go.

But car seats are ALWAYS in both of our cars and it takes 2 seconds to strap the kids in. I would still strap them in before leaving. Why make a bad situation worse KWIM? It's not like my emergency exempts me from the risk of a crash.

If there were a fire I would grab my kids and run. Unless the fire is chasing me I don't see why a car would be necessary. Just get away from immediate danger.

I just really don't think I can come up with a situation where I would go without car seats.

carseatcoach · Mar 10, 2011

hrice said:
I just really don't think I can come up with a situation where I would go without car seats.

Friend's car is the only one available and there are no seats.

hrice · Mar 10, 2011

chickabiddy said:
Friend's car is the only one available and there are no seats.

I see where you are going.

It would have to be something very extreme. Like Zombies.

MomToEliEm · Mar 10, 2011

If our lives were in danger, such as someone is chasing us with a chainsaw and I really needed to get away quickly, I would get everyone into the car and drive. As soon as I was a safe distance away, I would reevaluate the situation and buckle everyone up (if seats were in the car) or just just stop and wait for the police to arrive (hopefully I had a cell phone or a nearby house to call for help from).

If there was a medical emergency, I probably would wait for an ambulance as they could get here quicker than it would take us to drive to the hospital (we don't live very close to one).

Dillipop · Mar 10, 2011

hrice said:
If there were a fire I would grab my kids and run. Unless the fire is chasing me I don't see why a car would be necessary. Just get away from immediate danger.

When I mentioned fire, I was thinking more along the lines of a forest fire that quickly got out of control. Regular fire, I'd just grab the kids and run, but with a huge, out of control forest fire, that isn't always an option.

Qarin · Mar 10, 2011

There was a gas line explosion in a San Bruno, CA neighborhood last year- basically lit an entire neighborhood up very rapidly. Some were able to jump into cars, and picked up pedestrians along the way--- I'd totally way, way overload my van to get people out in that kind of situation!

safeinthecar · Mar 10, 2011

I can tell you about a real life time I had to take DD1 without a seat. When she was three, she backed her naked butt into the heater and had 3rd degree burns. 911 said the nearest ambulance was 20 mins away. The hospital was 5 mins away, and DD was in so much pain I just couldn't make her wait, so I put her on her knees in the footwell leaning forward onto the seat. A neighbor came and got the car and I carried her back home (lots of pain meds by this point) and just didn't drive her anywhere until the burns healed, but in that moment, when you have a screaming child in extreme pain and the only way to buckle her up is to make her sit on the injury, you do what you have to do.

Mommy2RickyRanaJavier · Mar 10, 2011

In an emergency and I didnt have my car with the seats yes Id do it. But if I had my car no, I only have to buckle 1 in which takes 2 seconds, the other 2 can buckle themselves and Id just throw them in the car and start driving while they are buckling which also only takes a few seconds, prolly by the time I reverse then put the car in drive.

canadiangie · Mar 10, 2011

When my 13 mo knocked her front teeth out (actually jammed them back up into her gums) and was screaming and had blood pouring everywhere. She rode in my arms to urgent care.

DahliaRW · Mar 10, 2011

For me when the alternative is serious injury or death. We live in the sticks, so in a medical emergency when I could drive to the ER faster than waiting for an ambulance I would as well, provided getting to the ER was time crucial.

icnee · Mar 10, 2011

When it is get in the car and go or risk dieing.

But if there was a medical emergency I would call 911

icnee · Mar 10, 2011

Qarin said:
There was a gas line explosion in a San Bruno, CA neighborhood last year- basically lit an entire neighborhood up very rapidly. Some were able to jump into cars, and picked up pedestrians along the way--- I'd totally way, way overload my van to get people out in that kind of situation!

This is what I mean get in the car and go or be gone.

LISmama810 · Mar 10, 2011

I think it's one of those situations where you'll know it when you see it.

Fire was my first thought, too. I live in an area where wildfires can and do change direction without notice, and where people can and do sometimes need to flee at a moment's notice, and where people can and do die in the process fleeing. Usually there's notice, but not always.

Emi's Mommy · Mar 10, 2011

Forest fire, flash flood, extreme medical emergency, or being chashed by a crazy person and needing to get away right.now.

ketchupqueen · Mar 10, 2011

The one most likely to occur here, is a fire (we live up against the Angeles National Forest; I also have friends in San Bruno whose kids' friend lost a parent during the explosion/fire up there. It was moving so fast that there wasn't time to leave.)

In that occasion, I'd not only put my kids in someone's car without seats (or even belts) if necessary, if we were in our van leaving and saw a family without a car, I'd stop for them and pile them in until there was absolutely no room in the vehicle, putting people on the floor and having them sit low. Because in that situation, there is a small chance of death or injury (the chance of getting in a crash) vs. an almost certain chance of death if you leave those people there.

Going without a seat in an emergency?

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