Share the scary thing you have seen concering misuse/nonuse ect.

[dhardawa]

Oh, lets see.

• Seat installed with tether in center tether anchor and lower LATCH anchors attached to the outboard tether anchors.
• One of the old infant seats that used the metal bar to adjust the harness. Bar was lost so they used a pencil.
• The obvious not buckled in kids, forward facing infant seats, not buckled in seats.
• I had a family come in once with about a 3 month old baby. He was in one of those cheapo Cosco carriers, but they had a seat for him in the back that they wanted installation information on. After they left, we looked it up and it was from about 1975. The harness was dry rotted and everything. What is worse? They also had a 12 year old daughter and had used it for her.
• Rear facing convertible seat in front of the airbag (I left a note on that one.)

 

[melniemi]

Leaving church yesterday there was a family, seemed like a mom and her 2 grown dd's, with 4-5 kids all under 4 in a 5 passenger car. The oldest kid - probably 3-4 - went to put on his seatbelt and 'gramma' said, "no you can't - there isn't enough room. we need to pile all the kids on our laps" as she climbed into the front seat with a baby, maybe 6 months old, on her lap I about died.

It's bad enough doing school pickup and seeing 3 yos bouncing around the back seat with no car/booster seat in sight. But this takes the cake.

 

[Jeanum]

Not seen in person, but online: carseats "installs" rigged up with outboard seatbelts and/or outboard lower anchors in the center rear seating position in vehicles that don't have an actual center rear seating position at all, but a hump or center console with cupholders.

 

[TerisBoys]

I've got two that tie for absolute scariest IMO.

When I was in college, I babysat for a little girl who's mom worked with me. 2yo-ish. I asked for her carseat and mom said "Oh - I can't take it out - it's BOLTED in the back of my car." Mom drove a Ford Exp (2 seater with a hatchback - seat was bolted to the floor of the cargo area!"

I used to work checks for Toy House. They were private, free checkups and Phil did NOT provide replacement seats, rather referred to local agencies. One check brough in a late 80's Ford Festiva that came into a check with a 50# little boy riding in an Evenflo Scout. On the seat next to him was a HUGE air compressor! I turned that one over to the deputies that were also working the check and prayed they had some resources that could help the family. (I'm not from Jackson - figured the deputies would have a better idea where to send them).