What's appropriate?

[MummaBear03]

Someone with 2 children the right size to be in a baby seat still wants to come with us when we go on trips away and split the cost of the petrol and share the driving, that way we can both afford to go places for camping or for a road trip or whatever. But her 2 children don't sit in seats anymore, the 2 year old is in a booster but her other child isn't in anything anymore. I don't have children in my car unless they're restrained but is it better to just not do anything with them until the children are much older and don't need any child restraints, or is it ok for me to purchase the seats, or what's the right thing to do here?

[punkbaby]

I assume that your close seeing your going away on trips, i would tell her or him that your not that comfy travelling with young kids who arent restrained properly and to see if she minds either getting a seat for them both or hiring one or if you get one, either way. I am picky about that and wont let kids in my car if there is a seat big enough for them or at least a H harness for them.
I would never forgive myself if something happened.

[onemummmy]

I assume that your close seeing your going away on trips, i would tell her or him that your not that comfy travelling with young kids who arent restrained properly and to see if she minds either getting a seat for them both or hiring one or if you get one, either way. I am picky about that and wont let kids in my car if there is a seat big enough for them or at least a H harness for them.
I would never forgive myself if something happened.

:iagree: no seat not car trip in my opinion.

[Roxy]

I wouldn't travel in my car without the children being properly restrained.

how would you feel about taking her car, and putting your DD's seat in her car?

Personally, I wouldn't be buying seats for her kids, just wouldn't have them in my car.

[jaq]

:iagree::iagree::iagree: with all of the above.

How would you feel if you had an accident and one of her children were hurt (or worse) while you were driving? Knowing it was her fault for not buying seats wouldn't stop it haunting you ...

[MummaBear03]

I wouldn't travel in my car without the children being properly restrained.

how would you feel about taking her car, and putting your DD's seat in her car?

Personally, I wouldn't be buying seats for her kids, just wouldn't have them in my car.
Her car wouldn't make it out of town so that's out, it'll have to be my car. I was actually thinking of getting a "spare" seat for my daughter so her seat doesn't have to come out of my car for any reason. I'm working now so not living week to week like we were. If I buy a spare seat for my daughter and another H harness, I could put her son into the spare car seat, probably a slim seat but I can't remember what they're called, then I could use her son's booster and her daughter could sit in that with a H harness but I don't know if it's appropriate to be saying that. We aren't close, our children go to the same daycare centre and she knows how I feel about car safety but would that be too much like dictating to her what is acceptable for her children? I won't have them unrestrained in my car but not sure if it's better to say no to any trips together or to have them correctly restrained in my car. Oh I cannot wait for tougher laws to be brought in!

[TazzieAngel]

I wouldn't think of it as dictating -or pushing your opinion, Just explain to her that you would be more comfortable driving with her children in your car if they were in proper car seats/boosters fore maximum safety.
Aparently not every state is the same age (maybe look into it for your area) but children legally have to be in a proper seat (5 point harness seat) or a high backed booster and harness until a certain age. I am now looking into this as I was concerned that it seemed my daughter (2 in sep) was already starting to out grow her car seat (she is Very tall -and with winter clothes on i have the straps fully extended) but i was told that I wouldnt be able to put her into a booster -even with a harness -untill she was at least 2.5 but that she had to be in a harness after that as 2 year old are not generally big enough to engage the saftey feature in seat belts and even with non retracting seatbelts they run the risk of submerining out of their belt!
But at the end of the day dont be worried about feeling like your making her change her ideas it your car so you shouldnt be made to change yours!

[Ange&Seth]

I was under the impression that kids legally had to be in H harnesses until they were at least 5? And if they were in your car, not properly restrained and you got pulled over, it would be YOU who was fined rather than the parents? I could be wrong though.

[MummaBear03]

We live in Qld and the laws are worse than I though!

I rang the QAS earlier this week, and there are no laws governing children from 6 months of age!!!

I have 2 carseats and a H harness but with the bigger car seats, only 2 fit in my car, not 3, unless one is in the reversed position :(