Shocked and amazed at the stupidity of people!

[Seacretsquirrel]

I live in Darwin and am not sure if it is jsut up here or if it is as prevalent in other states....
But in the last 2 weeks I have seen at least 5 kids travelling in cars unrestrained!!!!

First one amazed me a toddler lying on the front seat with her feet in the air obviously no seatbelt (not sure how you go about seatbelting an upsidedown toddler lol) (child restraint nowwhere in sight!!!

2nd later the same day a car full of people including a NB on someones lap...

then yesterday was out with DH and DD (safely strapped in her seat thanks) and saw a couple with their toddler sitting on the centre console.... child restraint safely strapped in in the back seat.....
Followed by the final one at the dump shop (dh looking for wheel rims for mud tyres) and up pulls this single cab ute and out pile mum dad a toddler and a baby.

Makes me sick to think what could happen.. this was in the space of a week and a bit imagine all the ones I didn't see.

Does anyone know if there is anyone to call regarding this We debated calling the cops but didn't have the moblies on us....

[NibbleCurlynBub]

Mm.. I know someone (kids father) who constantly sees a certain person who has NEVER had her newborns or babies or children restrained.. They're always on her lap in the front passenger seat. :no:

I don't know what is wrong with some people.

We were discussing yesterday actually how there is some kind of law where they will not discharge you from hospital without having a proper child-seat installed in your car.. But we have never been checked or even asked! :confused:

[our little treasures]

I would have taken details time, car make etc then called the police when I returned home.


NCB The problem is they would either borrow a seat or put one in the car for discharge and then not bother afterwards. IYKWIM

[NibbleCurlynBub]

But as I said.. I was never asked or checked.

So is anybody else? :confused:

[our little treasures]

Nope but not sure where you live but currently in Vic, it is LEGAL to put a 1 year old in the front of the car with no car seat. So I doubt the hospital could refuse your discharge when it's not currently illegal. IYKWIM

[NibbleCurlynBub]

My two were born in different states. :o

Both times I was told I would not be allowed to leave without a proper baby seat and it being checked. Both times come discharge I was goodbyed at the door. :confused:

[our little treasures]

Oh, so basically they had a policy and then never followed through:shame:

I cannot wait for the laws to toughen up and what a great idea getting the seat checked at the hosi:thumbsup: Now if only they could follow through with it:rolleyes:

[SassyMummy]

Nobody checked out our carseats upon leaving hospital... in fact, I had to hobble all the way to the front door holding my newborn (and this is going up lifts and steps) after my caesarean.

Would have really appreciated someone carrying my newborn for me and then checking the carseat... would have been a lot quicker (and more comfortable) for me!

But yeah, it's legal here to have a child over 1 NOT in a carseat... but they still have to be using a seatbelt.

Might not be that much use to someone so tiny, but it sure as hell beats nothing at all! Surely!

[NibbleCurlynBub]

Ouch.. They insisted they wheel my baby to the door in the bassinette. I wanted to hold him, but they genuinely wouldn't let me. :confused:

Why on earth would they not offer some help!! How rude!

[Seacretsquirrel]

I was never checked either (I think one MW asked if we had a carseat) and I carried DD from the room down stairs and waited for DH to go get the car. (he did carry the backs down though).

[toni796]

I have never been checked all 4 times when leaving the hospital. But have had the proper restraints every time of course.

But it does happen here as well. I reported a RACQ worker not to long ago because he was driving the work truck while his wife was holding the kid on her lap in a cruiser tray back. Apparantly it is still going on and he even got a new truck a couple of months after I reported him. I have not seen it so can't report it again.

[FluffyBunny]

Nope but not sure where you live but currently in Vic, it is LEGAL to put a 1 year old in the front of the car with no car seat. So I doubt the hospital could refuse your discharge when it's not currently illegal. IYKWIM

WTF! :confused: Thats just plain screwed to be legal.

[cinnamonbear]

i had dd in canberra and no one asked or check on me

it was enoguh of a pain them signing me out.. as they were on a break and i wanted to go.. ( no i was not goign to wait another 30 mins.. i had already been waitign 2 1/2 hours!).. dam temp nurse from NZ

if she was meant to check she prob didnt as her coffee was getting cold.

[confusd]

We were discussing yesterday actually how there is some kind of law where they will not discharge you from hospital without having a proper child-seat installed in your car.. But we have never been checked or even asked! :confused:

there was actually a case where a mother and father lived ACROSS the road from the hospital and they wouldnt let her leave because she said the child seat wasnt in her car yet. but the were just going to walk home. but they dont check or anything:confused:

[Pregnor]

Recently I rang to book a taxi, whilst on hold they have all those stupid messages, one of which was along the lines of
"if you have children and require a safety restraint, please request when booking, but remember it is legal for an adult to nurse a child under the age of 1, provided they are sitting in the back seat":confused::confused:

a few weeks ago i pulled up at the pharmacy, and a 3 door hyundai excel pulls up next to me, and one lady gets out to go to the ATM. In the car there were 2 adults in the front, the passenger with AT LEAST 2 children, unrestrained on her lap. AND in the back was another adult, and at least another 5 children! There was not a single child seat in the car. All the kids were climbing allover eachother :eek: Sadly its not the first, or last time i will ever see that happen :(

[~Candy~]

I see it too often also, kids mucking about in the back seat with no seatbelts on.
I still see a lot of parents smoking in the car occupied with kids, and just the other day, I saw a toddler standing on the front seat while dad (or whoever he was) was driving ...some ppl are just unbelievable :no:

[Ffrenchknickers]

I can't understand why you don't have to have them in a carseat in a cab....it's ridiculous if you ask me...what is the difference between a taxi and a car/van??

[SassyMummy]

Nothing is Ffrenchie, but I think it's because people without cars still have to go places, some places that public transport doesn't go... and taxi companies (majority of them) don't supply carseats.

It's fair enough to suggest that perhaps mother brings her own then, but it's pretty impossible to lug around a baby, trolley and carseat if you're going grocery shopping for example.

I couldn't even manage to carry DD in one hand and a carseat in the other. Not that I went in taxis when DD was a young baby, but I have while she's been older.

If I COULD book a taxi with a carseat/booster, I would... but sometimes I still need to get my shopping home (and myself and DD), and nobody is able to drive us back or whatever... in which case I need a taxi.

The law should really mandate that taxi companies MUST have carseats and boosters available on request (even if for an additional fee).

[Ffrenchknickers]

The law should really mandate that taxi companies MUST have carseats and boosters available on request (even if for an additional fee).

Yeah they should have to, I agree. Laws are funny things. When we were in Germany, they were really strict about having to have carseats (the cabs supplies them - really good ones too...) but over there you don't have to wear a helmet when you ride a bike, even kids....:confused:

[naiwen]

In QLD once a child is one they do not legally have to be in a car seat, they never have to be in a car seat in a taxi as long as they are on the mothers lap.

I wish they would change the laws, since when is one old enough to be out of a car seat!

[TazzieAngel]

It is unreal the stupid things that people will do just to save time/money/frustration!
A friend of mine had to travel for a funeral when her now eldest was only a baby, and half way there (3hour or so trip) in the middle of nowhere the baby wanted a feed -She promptly reached over took the baby out of her seat-forward facing way too early-and sat there and fed her in the passenger seat while her fiance kept driving not at all fazed by what she was doing!! Now they were traveling along the highway and he was sitting on about 120km at this stage :no: the baby would not of had a chance had anything happened!!!!
We had a massive fall out a couple of years ago as she wanted me to take her and her 3 kids shopping but didnt have car seat for any of them-youngest was under 6mths eldest was (a tiny) 4 -I refused unless she could get her seats for them -she called me up tight and said that I accused me of telling her how to raise her children!!!:eek: sheesh!

Some Taxi's now carry harnesses for children - but it is only certain drivers who are taking the anitiative(sp?) themselves -not the company's.

[Dannielle]

The taxi drivers even have to purchase their own seats too. (At least for the company that a family member drives for) I have seen things a few times but yesterday I was SHOCKED! I saw a grandma holding a child of about 2yrs over her shoulder. You know when you hug a child and they rest their head on your shoulder? Like that. Just wish I could have remembered their rego but I was by myself and too shocked to think at first.