How do you guys feel about the booster seat laws being put in place?

[scbatz33]

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Good to know it's not just me! I joined back in Jan and wow the great advice and real knowledge. Now you're lucky if anyone responds at all much less with out being all "i know more than you" or flat out snarky to make you feel dumb for being alive..

I realize some of these posts are meant for more social topics and I do love a good conversation, but I have noticed how quickly it all dissolves into name calling and one-upping each other.

I'm done now, i promise

 

[PotterWatch]

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But it isn't your choice to viciously beat your child, another thing that could put their lives in danger. You don't get to choose to starve them or force them to work at a dangerous job when they are 10years old. There are lots of things mandated by the government that are designed to keep children safe even if their parents don't agree, this just happens to be one of them.

We do have constitutional rights, but the right to do whatever the heck we want isn't one of them and frankly I wouldn't want to live somewhere that allowed people to do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted to do it.

I'm not even going to touch the abortion comments because this isn't the appropriate forum to discuss that sort of thing.

I wasn't trying to start a debate, I was just saying if we are allowed to make choices about other things, we should be allowed to make our own choices regarding seatbelts. I believe in personal responsibility. I apologise if my post offended you in anyway, that wasn't my intentions, and I'll edit it out if it will help?

babylady4, what do you say to parents who do have their kids properly strapped in, who are strapped in themselves, and yet their kids still get killed or badly injured in an accident?

I'm not offended in the least. Personal responsibility is one thing, but children aren't able to make those choices for themselves and should therefore be protected by adults until they are able to decide for themselves. I was just pointing out that there are plenty of laws that restrict our freedoms in order to protect our children.

Being in a car accident and wearing a seatbelt certainly doesn't guarantee you will walk away unscathed. People certainly do still get killed even when properly restrained. The point is that being properly restrained greatly increases your chances of remaining alive/unhurt after an accident. As someone who has never allowed one of my kids to be in a moving car without a seatbelt or properly restrained in a car/booster seat, I find it hard to understand why parents choose not to keep their child as safe as possible when in a vehicle.

 

[rebbetzin]

It is a wonder any of us survived the pre-seatbels and "gov't approved carseat" days. I remember the baby car seats just hung over the back of the regular seats and most had a toy steering wheel on them.

But, think about it... we used to drive cars that were made of real metal, that didn't dent when you shut the car door with your tush.

We even had bumpers made of METAL with real CHROME on them!! Now we are encased in plastic and airbags.

Soon the only "gov't approved" cars will be those silly clown cars that hold two people max. and if you get in an accident you are bound to need months of "gov't healthcare" rehab. Or if you are lucky you will just die and they will use the little car as a casket for you and any passenger that was in the car with you.

Such a world we have these days.

 

[warmfuzzies]

I think it should be a law for children, but not for adults. You want to kill yourself, go ahead. You want to kill your children, not that good of plan.

I DO think the government imposes much too much, but this is one of the good laws.

And, as a side note, I was raised before there were seatbelt laws too. I can remember climbing through the back window of our pick up, into the topper, where our carseats were bolted to the bed!

 

[beak]

If I was a cop I would set records for tickets to parents with unrestrained kids. I could care less if an adult wants to not wear a seat belt. If they want to fly out of the car, or use their head to break the windshield that's up to them. When it comes to kids though it makes my blood boil. I get really upset when I see a parent wearing their belt and the kid bouncing around in back. That's why we are parents after all. Kids will do whatever is most comfortable for them.

As for booster seats. If a kid can put their seat belt on sitting in the seat, then they can fasten it on a booster seat. Booster seats are really just fancy telephone books you stick under your kids butt. It prevents neck injuries in an accident. I know, the whole car seat thing is a real pain, but there is nothing I can think of that would be worse than losing your child. If my child died because I didn't want to bother putting them in a car seat I would probably shoot myself.

I don't agree with seat belt laws for adults or helmet laws for adults. Safety is a matter of choice. I do think that in the case of head injuries caused by non use of seat belts or helmets should be solely the responsibility of the person who chooses not to use the safety devices.

JMO

 

[babylady4]

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But it isn't your choice to viciously beat your child, another thing that could put their lives in danger. You don't get to choose to starve them or force them to work at a dangerous job when they are 10years old. There are lots of things mandated by the government that are designed to keep children safe even if their parents don't agree, this just happens to be one of them.

We do have constitutional rights, but the right to do whatever the heck we want isn't one of them and frankly I wouldn't want to live somewhere that allowed people to do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted to do it.

I'm not even going to touch the abortion comments because this isn't the appropriate forum to discuss that sort of thing.

I wasn't trying to start a debate, I was just saying if we are allowed to make choices about other things, we should be allowed to make our own choices regarding seatbelts. I believe in personal responsibility. I apologise if my post offended you in anyway, that wasn't my intentions, and I'll edit it out if it will help?

babylady4, what do you say to parents who do have their kids properly strapped in, who are strapped in themselves, and yet their kids still get killed or badly injured in an accident?

That is irrelevent to this conversation, this is about the booster laws. If the law is in place and the adult is non-compliant and their child is killed is a completely different issue than if the child was strapped in and killed. Cars, carseats, safety equipment.... it is not perfect and will not always work; but in the majority of cases it does work and saves lives. These laws are put into place to save the lives of kids.

 

[mrbstephens]

It makes plenty of sense that if the seat belt isn't in the right position on the child and the child doesn't weigh enough the restraint won't work properly. That's what the booster seat is for.

 

[babylady4]

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Here they discussed the issue for a few years so residents had time to mull it over. With they way the discussions were going it was only a matter of time before the law was passed, and they were nice enough to add the one year compliance to the law. We have had the law about not allowing children under the age of 12 in the front of a vehicle for at least 12 years (I think), so a lot of people here already had vehicles to accomidate booster seats. I am sorry that this was not broadcast to the residents of KY, I would definately get on the internet, phone, write letters, whatever is needed to inform the legislation about how this is a burden.

We are pretty down home here too, most people drive trucks and we do have corn fields for miles, along with a ton of holsteins!

 

[AHappychick]

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[AHappychick]

mom'sfolly :

This one is directed at the OP, specifically.

As a 17 year old, you are currently subjected to laws designed to protect children. These include: drinking age, legal contract age, smoking age (your state may have a lower age than my state), marriage age and others. Until recently you were not allowed to drive or hold a full-time job. You are still included on your parent's insurance and income tax. While you might not agree with these laws, they are in place for your protection, the seat belt law is no different. As a society, it is in our best interest to protect children. These laws change over time, and reflect the changes in society. What was allowed in the past doesn't mean it will be allowed in the future. Two centuries ago children worked in factories at 10, drank and smoked by 12, had children at 14 and died by forty. Society changed, laws changed and the world changed.

so well said.

I just wanted to add that when you are older (and I can not believe the words are coming out of my mouth, or fingers as I type) but when you are older and have children you will understand. At your age I didnt even like kids much less rules, laws or seatbelts for that matter. Its your job to question and rebel, and ours to keep you safe.