I saw a "maybe" 2-year old in a booster and I didn't say anything... :(

And now I'm feeling really bad about it.

We were parked at Safeway when DH made a quick store-run and there was a little boy in the passenger backseat of a sedan and a male companion (maybe his dad?) was smoking outside beside the car.

So I peeked in the car (we were riding a truck so I could see down) and he was riding in a booster and the lapbelt portion of the seatbelt. The shoulder portion was behind him. My son is a tall 2 year old and the kid didn't look any bigger than him so I'm guessing he's 2 or 3. I contemplated saying something but I chickened out. Male companion got into the driver's seat and turned on the stereo really loud so I felt my window for intervention was lost. We drove away without me saying anything.

I took down the license plate though. Can I do anything with that?

So how do you deal with situations like this???

At this point, I wouldn't think you could do anything. And, unless your state has a proper use clause, they may not have been *legally* doing anything wrong and in that case there's not a thing in the world that anyone could forcibly do. If you do have a proper use clause then you could have called the police right then and they could have tracked them down.

I am not a confrontational person, I avoid it if possible.

I wouldn't say anything to a stranger for fear of retaliation. At DDs daycare there were 2 two year olds (different families) with their kids in boosters. Our wonderful daycare provider passed on info to them that I had printed. One ignored me after that and the other told me to buzz off (not in quite those words though).

DD is 3 1/2 and there is NO way she would sit still enough for a booster. I can't even imagine it in a few years.

I googled our state law regarding car seats and came up with this,

Sec. 28.05.095. Use of seat belts and child safety devices required.
(a) Except as provided in (c) of this section a person
(1) 16 years of age or older may not occupy a motor vehicle while being driven unless restrained by a safety belt; and
(2) may not operate a motor vehicle unless restrained by a safety belt.
(b) Except as provided in (c) of this section, a driver may not transport a child under the age of 16 in a motor vehicle unless the driver has provided the required safety device and properly secured each child as described in this subsection. If the child is less than four years of age, the child shall be properly secured in a child safety device meeting the standards of the United States Department of Transportation for a child safety device for infants. If the child is four but not yet 16 years of age, the child shall be properly secured in a child safety device approved for a child of that age and size by the United States Department of Transportation or in a safety belt, whichever is appropriate for the particular child.

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Bolding mine.

So do boosters count as a

child safety device meeting the standards of the United States Department of Transportation for a child safety device for infants

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?

I know at this point I can't do anything about what I saw but I just want to be prepared just in case something like this comes up again.

One of the questions that went swimming in my head was for improperly restrained kids is it more a lack of information on the part of the caregivers or is it more because that the caregivers don't believe the actual information/law?

What has been your experience?

Also as far as intervention is concerned is there more leverage in prefacing it with "Hi, I'm a tech and noticed that..." rather than if it were just some ordinary bystander/busybody (like me! )?

He was not properly restrained in the seat so I think that would count (the problem is, does the police force think it counts, that's going to be a hurdle).

I'd be extremely cautious of who you approach. There have been a couple incidents on here where people have been stalked/harassed/followed home for offering ways to make a stranger's child safer. People can get really freaky about this kind of stuff. It's so sad to me that it's so difficult (and often dangerous) to do the right thing

Ugh. I guess I probably should just get involved in our local SafeKids chapter for info dissemination programs.
Does SK accept volunteers?

grumpybear said:

Ugh. I guess I probably should just get involved in our local SafeKids chapter for info dissemination programs.
Does SK accept volunteers?

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heck yes they do! They even wanted my help before I was a tech.