4 kids in 3rd row-Could have been a carpool disaster!
I got a real scare when I picked up my ds after a school outing today. We have been booster training for carpool purposes. He is still harnessed in our cars (7yo). Since he is new to riding in a booster, we go over the rules beforehand and I ask questions afterwards so I can make sure he is riding properly and safely. I was shocked at what I heard today.
He told me he was outboard in the 2nd row of a older Suburban and said, yes, he had the shoulder belt in the right position. I asked if the middle child had a shoulder belt too or just a lap belt and he said, just a lap belt. I was telling him he could never ride with only a lapbelt and he confessed that he (working with the boy in the middle) had not been able to get his belt buckled so he was unrestrained. Then he told me there were 4 kids in the third row. Now I don't know Suburbans but I am pretty sure there are not 4 seatbelts and that there are only 2 shoulder belts. All 6 of the kids are 6-7 years old. And there was a horrible wreck this evening 2 miles from the site of the school outing. I shudder to think what could have happened!
Since the school had quizzed me when I volunteered to chaperone about the number of shoulder belt in my car, I thought they were paying attention to car safety. (I will be talking with the school tomorrow.)
When booster training, one thing I hadn't really thought about is helping my son learn to advocate for his own safety with adults. He is kind of shy around adults he doesn't know well and this really brought that home to me. They shouldn't have to be the ones but sometimes our kids have to know how to help keep themselves safe, even when adults don't.
He hasn't riding with others very much and this experience isn't helping me feel very comfortable about letting him. I still feel sick when I think what might have been...
(Sorry for the length but I needed to tell people that I know understand why I am so freaked out.)
I got a real scare when I picked up my ds after a school outing today. We have been booster training for carpool purposes. He is still harnessed in our cars (7yo). Since he is new to riding in a booster, we go over the rules beforehand and I ask questions afterwards so I can make sure he is riding properly and safely. I was shocked at what I heard today.
He told me he was outboard in the 2nd row of a older Suburban and said, yes, he had the shoulder belt in the right position. I asked if the middle child had a shoulder belt too or just a lap belt and he said, just a lap belt. I was telling him he could never ride with only a lapbelt and he confessed that he (working with the boy in the middle) had not been able to get his belt buckled so he was unrestrained. Then he told me there were 4 kids in the third row. Now I don't know Suburbans but I am pretty sure there are not 4 seatbelts and that there are only 2 shoulder belts. All 6 of the kids are 6-7 years old. And there was a horrible wreck this evening 2 miles from the site of the school outing. I shudder to think what could have happened!
Since the school had quizzed me when I volunteered to chaperone about the number of shoulder belt in my car, I thought they were paying attention to car safety. (I will be talking with the school tomorrow.)
When booster training, one thing I hadn't really thought about is helping my son learn to advocate for his own safety with adults. He is kind of shy around adults he doesn't know well and this really brought that home to me. They shouldn't have to be the ones but sometimes our kids have to know how to help keep themselves safe, even when adults don't.
He hasn't riding with others very much and this experience isn't helping me feel very comfortable about letting him. I still feel sick when I think what might have been...
(Sorry for the length but I needed to tell people that I know understand why I am so freaked out.)
Last edited: