Ok, now that's a cruddy law

Tara · Jul 26, 2007

So, we're almost certainly moving to Alabama here soon.
Oh boy is that state going to LOVE me. Ha!

Anyway...
I've checked on their laws concerning home school and home birth thus far and just decided to look over their child passenger safety 'requirements'

here's an excerpt of what I found:

Child passenger restraints; required for children under six; penalty.
(a) Every person transporting a child under the age of six years in a motor vehicle....., shall provide for the protection of the child by properly using a child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. Provided that, with respect to a child who is either four or five years of age, the term "child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards" shall be deemed to include seat belts installed by the motor vehicle manufacturer, dealer or owner. Provided that in no event shall failure to wear a child passenger restraint system be considered as contributory negligence. Provided that the term "motor vehicle" as used in this section shall not apply to trucks or buses having tonnage rating of one ton or more.
......
(c) Any person violating the provisions of this section may be fined not more than $10.00 for each offense.

*bold is mine*

lovely eh?

well, I've gone well beyond the minimum requirements of that state already
I wonder what it's going to be like to find a tech in that area? I may need to get on that task ASAP (of getting myself certified I mean)

azgirl71 · Jul 26, 2007

AZ law is bad to. I do know a tech or 2 in AL so I know they exsist. They say it is rediculous the stuff they see wrong IF child id restrained.

Kellyr2 · Jul 26, 2007

OKay, is that saying that if you at least have the kid in a seatbelt, no carseat, you're good? Then why bother even saying that they must be in carseats up to 6?

arly1983 · Jul 26, 2007

Your coming to AL, get ready to be amazed (at how bad it can get)!!!

AL is almost as bad as GA

Kellyr2 · Jul 26, 2007

Ah, but according to a website I saw yesterday, GA law does sneak in there that they have to be 57" in order to use just the seatbelt.

arly1983 · Jul 26, 2007

Kellyr2 said:
Ah, but according to a website I saw yesterday, GA law does sneak in there that they have to be 57" in order to use just the seatbelt.

None of those laws are enforced!

Tara · Jul 26, 2007

Kellyr2 said:
OKay, is that saying that if you at least have the kid in a seatbelt, no carseat, you're good? Then why bother even saying that they must be in carseats up to 6?

that's the way I'm reading it

pawsnfur · Jul 26, 2007

what I got out of that is that kidas over four only need a seatbelt and kids over 6 don't need anything and all kids can ride in the back of 1 ton pick-up trucks. Lord, I don't know why if research shows and some states adopt laws to protect children why it isn't across the board. Please, it's a chance for the state to make money and educate people who let their kids ride around unsafely.

What are your ideas on confronting people who don't have their kids restrained properly or safely. I saw a woman once who had a two year old in a shoulder harness as well as her four yr old in a center lap belt and 7 yr old with no belt. I offered to give her my Cosco 5 point right then and there. and a booster for the middle child to use in the shoulder position, but all hse kept saying is they were her grandkids so they were fine...no thank you, really, their fine. I finally said...Now there fine, but in about 5 minutes when a truck hits you they might not be fine, it's free and will only take a few minutes. She said she didn't want to mess up her leather seats and I told her they make nice cheap covers for under car seats and wanted to say that blood would really mess up the seats. It seems that everyone I talk to seems to maybe get embarrassed and refuse to even let me tighten their seats or adjust their child's straps. Should I give up?
-Apryl

amyg530 · Jul 26, 2007

where in AL are you moving to? i'm in montgomery and its pretty bad. i really want to become a tech but the only classes soon are past birmingham and some place in the middle of nowhere, both 1-2 hours away, and i cant afford to drive to those places and back 3 different days, not to mention i dont have any family here to watch connor. hopefully they'll eventually have one in montgomery and hopefully it wont be like the week i'm due with #2 or something crazy like that.

the other day i saw a women put 2 tiny kids (probably under 4) in the back with nothing, not even seat belts, then she put a carrier RF in the front seat

i HAD to say something b/c it caused me to hang up on my mom and nearly throw up. so i very nicely told her that i didnt mean to be rude but that it was very unsafe to have a RF seat in the front seat and that the baby would be much safer in the back. her answer "oh well i'm gonna strap in it." WTF? so not being able to bite my tounge i informend her that if she was in a crash the baby was at risk for decapatitation . and of course she didnt even bother to strap it in like she said. it just makes me sick. i just prayed that nothing happened to them.

what i want to know is why cant they make great carseat laws and make them national, just like the drinking law. i remember that louisiana was one of the last states to change the drinking age to 21, and the only reason they did so (from what i understand) was b/c the national govt was gonna withhold highway money. why cant they do that with carseat laws? something like
RF till 2 or 33#
FF harnessed to 65# or 6
booster to like 10

thats what i think would be a good law, of course thats the simplified version, that seems to me to be better than they are now and still reasonable for most.
ok i totally got off subject, sorry

Jeanum · Jul 26, 2007

I asked a similar question about federal carseat laws vs. state laws a while ago. Apparently there is pressure on states to enact their own booster laws or they risk loss of highway funding, similar to what you're talking about with the increase in the legal drinking age. But some states are still pretty behind the booster law bandwagon. Michigan is another example. The latest proposed booster law was passed by the state house and then kicked back to the transportation committee, with no vote yet by the state senate. This is the farthest a booster law has made it so far in Michigan, past attempts fizzled and died out completely in committee.

Tara · Jul 27, 2007

amyg530 said:
where in AL are you moving to? ....

Birmingham area

And yeah, now, I'm not one to want the government all up in all my business and everything, but, I think something better could be done...nationally.
I like the rf to 2yr/33# idea and such that was mentioned.

Shoot, I'd settle for:
rf to 2yr/33#
5pt harness to 5yr/50#
booster til 8yr

at least that's a lot better than far too many people are actually practicing ya know?
and, it's not going 'too far'

I'm sure this may be read wrong by some...
I value a child's life as much as the next guy/gal

but..I don't think the government should be all that much up in my business and the way I tend to my family's needs
ya know, like with home schooling ... I don't think I should have to report to "them" and jump through their hoops and such.. *I* am responsible for my child(ren)'s education...not "them" Same goes for home birth.
I, as well as everyone else, should have the freedom to raise my children as I deem fit. Sure, it's not up to "everyone's" standards..but..well...
I'm rambling now and probably getting myself into another of those situations where I should have shut up loooooooooong ago
seems to be my theme this week on the boards I frequent

------------
anywho...so....Birmingham actually holds classes eh? well, that's a plus

Beckers · Jul 27, 2007

:happy-wavehello: I'm in the birmingham area!! The laws here are pretty sad

I work at a part time preschool in a very wealthy part of town and I have to look away every day....it really eats me up what these people do! Three year olds in boosters, five year olds in seat belts, often lap belts!

I don't get it!
Anyway, the only classes I've seen have been in Huntsville, which is about 2-2.5 hour north of Birmingham....I keep waiting for something closer, I'm sure it will come up soon!
The Children's Hospital here has carseat checks twice a month, I think they are on the 2nd and 4th tuesday of every month, but I could be wrong about the days

PS: I hope you like it HOT!

Michi · Jul 27, 2007

Wow! That's kind of scary!
At least you know that YOUR kids are well within the law!

amyg530 · Jul 27, 2007

here's the link to the class near b'ham. its about 25 minutes away, so pretty good if you ask me

https://ssl13.cyzap.net/dzapps/dbza...tSQL&pCourseID=AL20070511512&pCoursePK=551300

so to the OP if you're moving very soon you might be able to take it, and to beckers, there you go, close and soon, lucky!

Beckers · Jul 27, 2007

here's the link to the class near b'ham. its about 25 minutes away, so pretty good if you ask me

https://ssl13.cyzap.net/dzapps/dbzap...oursePK=551300

so to the OP if you're moving very soon you might be able to take it, and to beckers, there you go, close and soon, lucky!

Ok, I'm am really worried about myself! I have no clue what I did wrong before! There aren't ANY classes in Huntsville!

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, thanks! Now I have to find a babysitter........

amyg530 · Jul 27, 2007

Beckers said:
Ok, I'm am really worried about myself! I have no clue what I did wrong before! There aren't ANY classes in Huntsville!

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, thanks! Now I have to find a babysitter........

idk i wasnt the one that looked them up, on of my friends did. anyway hope you can find a sitter you lucky duck

3acorns4Christy · Jul 28, 2007

WOW that is totally insane. I thought TX was bad but sheesh that is horrible!

Beckers · Jul 28, 2007

OK, I knew that law didn't seem right! They passed a new one last summer, but its not much better

"(a) Every person transporting a child in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of
this state, shall provide for the protection of the child by properly using an aftermarket or integrated child
passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards and the requirements
of subsection (b). This section shall not be interpreted to release in part or in whole the responsibility of an
automobile manufacturer to insure the safety of children to a level at least equivalent to existing federal
safety standards for adults. In no event shall failure to wear a child passenger restraint system be considered
as contributory negligence. The term "motor vehicle" as used in this section shall include a passenger car,
pickup truck, van (seating capacity of 10 or less), minivan, or sports utility vehicle.
"(b) The size appropriate restraint system required for a child in subsection (a) shall include all of the
following:
"(1) Infant only seats and convertible seats used in the rear facing position for infants until at least one year
of age or 20 pounds.
"(2) Convertible seats in the forward position or forward facing seats until the child is at least five years of
age or 40 pounds.
"(3) Booster seats until the child is six years of age.
"(4) Seat belts until 15 years of age.
"(c) No provision of this section shall be construed as creating any duty, standard of care, right, or liability
between parent and child that is not recognized under the laws of the State of Alabama as they presently
exist, or may, at any time in the future, be constituted by statute or decision.
"(d) Any person violating the provisions of this section may be fined twenty-five dollars ($25) for each
offense. The charges may be dismissed by the trial judge hearing the case and no court costs shall be
assessed upon proof of acquisition of an appropriate child passenger restraint.

Tara · Jul 28, 2007

well, the new law sure sounds better than :
*"Shoot...make yer own seat belt contraptions and put yer 3 year old in it and we'll call it good"

*my version of the above mentioned: shall be deemed to include seat belts installed by the motor vehicle manufacturer, dealer or owner.

I forgot to link where I found my info, I meant to come back and do that..ah well, too late now

Ok, now that's a cruddy law

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