How could someone think this is safe?

I don't know how I get so "lucky" to witness so many horrible uses of carseats, but somehow I do.

Today, I was sitting in a parked car waiting for someone to come out of a store. As I was sitting there, I was people watching and watching people drive by. At one point, a Nissan Armada slowly drove by with a child in the backseat in an overhead-shield type seat (I couldn't tell what kind. It looked like it MIGHT have been an Evenflo Tribute OHS, but I couldn't tell for sure) that was FF.

There were two things that appeared to be wrong, but one was MUCH MUCH MUCH worse than the other. First, the child in the seat looked pretty young. He/she was probably too young to be FF, but that isn't the worst part.

The worst part was ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. The shield was UP on the seat. Yes, that is right! It was UP, which means that the baby sitting in that carseat must not have been restrained at all. They were driving through the parking lot with a child in a carseat with what appeared to be no restraint. OMG!!

I wish I had been able to get the person's license plate # so that I could call the police. While the police may not have dones anything since it was a private parking lot, as soon as that person drove onto public road, the police could nail her.

Ugh!

Yep, I've seen that. doncha know just having a seat protects the kid? < end sarcasm>

there was a small buick sedan next to me at a light yesterday that had 7 people in it - front: driver, adult passenger, small child (maybe 5-6yo) on her lap; back seat: 3 adults and 1 more small child on a lap.

i think i've posted this story before but will again because i kept thinking about what you saw in the parking lot. it's likely the person didn't even know the kid was not "buckled".
I will never ever forget this incident. i was visiting my parents and my dad walked me out to my car and put the baby (i think she was 3 at the time) in her seat, after hugging her etc. (i was already seated). it never occurred to me to check her as he has taken her places several times and knows how to use a carseat.
on the way home, about a 45 min drive, I was in the fast lane and a car was STOPPED, apparently had missed a left hand exit and was not able to cut in. So i went from 70mph to 0 in a few seconds. My dad had neglected to buckle in the baby and she flew into my windshield. I was panicked screaming and convinced she was either dead or broken but she was crying so i knew she was at least alive. I pulled over as soon as i could safely and she was shaken up but seemed fine so i decided to go home rather than the hospital (which was of course my 1st thought). she was fine, and thank god i did not actually hit the car that was stopped in the middle of the fast lane and was able to stop in time and it turned out ok, could certainly have been much worse but still was MY FAULT, and was horrible....
so in other words, if i saw a kid IN a seat but not buckled i think i would try to get the person's attention (especially if it was a woman - im a little wary of men), and make sure they were aware of the situation.

A lot of people just don't get that even in the parking lot, seat belts are important. Before I got more anal about car safety, we did it LOTS of times. Growing up, we never buckled if we were just going from one side of the parking lot to the other, which we'd do in big parking lots. Everyone now thinks I'm weird because I actually buckle the kids in their carseat even if we won't be going on the road. "But we're just going right across the parking lot!"
Of course, my mom also asked me if the kids needed to be buckled to drive from my house to the pool - and that's going on roads! Yes, the roads are only 15 mph... like almost every other road we drive on, here on a military base! Of course seatbelts are mandatory!

But a lot of people who haven't researched it figure that if you're going very slow, or not going on roads, then seatbelts aren't an issue at all.

MelanieV - I'm so glad DC was OK!

I have actually pulled over and checked DD to make sure I have buckled her in when I get that sinking feeling that I might have forgotten. Thankfully, I haven't actually forgotten to buckle her in yet! I can see how it could happen though!

Melaniev - How scary! I'm glad she was okay!

I have driven off with one of the kids not buckled before because DH and I have done the "I though YOU buckled her/him..." routine.
Luckily my 3 oldest will literally scream "I'm not buckled!" if it accidentally happens, and we try to do a check and say "Everyone buckled?" before pulling out of the driveway...just in case.

pablomichi said:

Melaniev - How scary! I'm glad she was okay!

I have driven off with one of the kids not buckled before because DH and I have done the "I though YOU buckled her/him..." routine.
Luckily my 3 oldest will literally scream "I'm not buckled!" if it accidentally happens, and we try to do a check and say "Everyone buckled?" before pulling out of the driveway...just in case.

Click to expand...

Wow, scary scary!!!! Thank goodness she was ok after that!

I've forgotten to buckle Piper's bottom buckle before. I got a "MOMMY, YOU FORGOT TO BUCKLE ME!" and that was before the age of three. LOL Now we ask, "Is everyone safe?" When she was FFing she would yell at us if we didn't have our belts on fast enough. One time Nathan unbuckled before we were stopped in our parking spot and she still hasn't let that one go. "Daddy unbuckled once before we were stopped. You can't do that again, Daddy."

Wendy

Before I knew about the dangers of shield seats, I had one for DS. He was in it from about 4 months until almost 2 when DH totaled the car and the carseat with it (yeah for the carseat, not so great for the car.) Anyway, it was a century accel and when it was rearfacing, when we tightened the straps, the adjuster strap would ride over the buckle. Twice it unbuckled the seat without us realizing until we were on the road and the shield was rising up. We would immediately pull over and from then on made sure we didn't accidentally unbuckle the seat while we were tightening the harness. I was sooooo glad to get rid of that seat and replace it with a 5 point Britax.

Somewhat off-topic, but I have been really shocked recently

(although I don't know WHY I'm shocked) at how many parents literally allow their kids(all sizes and ages) to bounce around in the car unbuckled when making the 2 mile trip through the neighborhood from their house to the pool. I was running tonight and saw one child--as small as my 2 year old) leaning out of the front seat passenger window! I mean, if you had to slam on your brakes--even while going slowly--can you imagine what would happen? My neighbor's 5 year old was standing up looking out of the sunroof(which may be why I politely decline to carpool with her). Wonder if I could get a cop to sit and do a random seat check....the bad part is that most of the adults were buckled!

And then sometimes your children comspire to make you think you've lost your mind. lol
The other day I stopped at 7-11 for a drink and snacks for the kids. Since CJ is ten now, I allow them to stay in the car while I run in as long as he's with me (I can see the car from all corners of the store.)
So I'm paying and glance over checking on them to see Joyjoy in the driver's seat of the suburban! I'm freaking thinking I'd forgotten to buckle her before leaving the house, and get out to the car to find Gregory had unbuckled her. I was furious.