Patriot201
Car-Seat.org Ambassador
I was at Babies R Us this afternoon and pulled into a parking space next to a 4-door Toyota Corolla. I was a bit surprised by what I saw in the car.
The backseat had a FORWARD-FACING Cosco Turnabout Infant carseat and a FF Evenflo Medallion with EXTREMELY twisted straps. The rear seating location behind the passenger's seat was empty- no child seat.
The front seat had a Graco CarGo with the 5-point harness in it BUT the seatbelt was through the seatbelt guides (for booster use) as well.
I went into Babies R Us and did my shopping. As I was leaving, I saw the famiy getting into the Corolla. They were putting a child who appeared to be about seven or eight months old in the FF Turnabout, a child who appeared to be about four years old in the CarGo, and a child who appeared to be about three years old in the Medallion. I wanted to say something to the family, but the father looked pretty mean. I got scared.
The family was doing several things wrong. (1) You cannot use a RF-only seat as a FF seat. (2) You can't use both the 5-point and a seatbelt (as a booster) on the CarGo. (3) The straps were too twisted on the Medallion. (4) I question the expiration dates on the Medallion and the Turnabout. (5) The CarGo should, if possible, be in the backseat. (6) The baby was WAY too young to be FF. I'm sure there were other issues, as well.
How do you all approach situations like this? In the past, I have called the police, but I have often been told (by the police) that there is nothing an officer can do. I thought that Virginia's laws allowed police officers to stop cars for incorrect use of child restraints. I thought that was now a primary offense. What do you all do?
The backseat had a FORWARD-FACING Cosco Turnabout Infant carseat and a FF Evenflo Medallion with EXTREMELY twisted straps. The rear seating location behind the passenger's seat was empty- no child seat.
The front seat had a Graco CarGo with the 5-point harness in it BUT the seatbelt was through the seatbelt guides (for booster use) as well.
I went into Babies R Us and did my shopping. As I was leaving, I saw the famiy getting into the Corolla. They were putting a child who appeared to be about seven or eight months old in the FF Turnabout, a child who appeared to be about four years old in the CarGo, and a child who appeared to be about three years old in the Medallion. I wanted to say something to the family, but the father looked pretty mean. I got scared.
The family was doing several things wrong. (1) You cannot use a RF-only seat as a FF seat. (2) You can't use both the 5-point and a seatbelt (as a booster) on the CarGo. (3) The straps were too twisted on the Medallion. (4) I question the expiration dates on the Medallion and the Turnabout. (5) The CarGo should, if possible, be in the backseat. (6) The baby was WAY too young to be FF. I'm sure there were other issues, as well.
How do you all approach situations like this? In the past, I have called the police, but I have often been told (by the police) that there is nothing an officer can do. I thought that Virginia's laws allowed police officers to stop cars for incorrect use of child restraints. I thought that was now a primary offense. What do you all do?