Can you get a ticket for having an infant in a front facing car seat?? A friend of mine has her not even six months old baby ina front facing car seat.. . I have tried to tell her its not safe.. but she says that her doctor told her it was fine.. Her baby is not even 15lbs!!!
2006-08-17 05:56:36 · 18 answers · asked by ♥cutemamma♥ 6 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
we are in Indian.. if that helps
2006-08-17 05:57:22 · update #1
oops.. i ment Indiana!! LOL
2006-08-17 05:57:39 · update #2
do you guys think i should try to talk to her about it again?!!?
2006-08-17 06:12:45 · update #3
I'm glad that you are concerned for your friend's baby's safety, even if her and her doctor don't seem to be. I mean, I hate to argue with a doctor, but most carseat instructions even say to keep infants rear facing as long as possible!!!
There are state laws regarding seatbelt and car seat safety. I've posted a link below that had some info. on Indiana. It doesn't specifically say "rear-facing", but it does say that parents must follow height, age and weight requirements as listed on the carseat instructions. And, I thought that most carseats would not allow you to face your child forward until they were at least one year of age AND 22 or so pounds. Good luck helping your friend.
ADD: Yes, I do think you may want to talk to your friend again. Be careful so she doesn't get defensive and make the situation worse. Someone else above gave a good suggestion, find something in print, like a pamphlet. Your friend might listen if she feels the info. is coming from a figure of authority. Try checking out the AAP (american academy of pediatrics) website... actually, I just found a link from them with car seat safety. Maybe it will help. I've posted it below. And, as the same person said, most areas have certified people to check to see if a carseat is installed properly (often local police, firefighters or EMTs). If she checks with one of them, they might tell her the dangers or comment on the legality of the situation.
2006-08-17 06:06:03 · answer #1 · answered by Amalthea 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no way her doctor told her that was safe. Babies are to be in a backward facing carseat until they are at least 1 year old and 20 lbs. If she gets in a wreck, she will most likely lose her baby. And yes, she can get a HUGE ticket for that.
EDIT: Even though you said nothing about the front seat people tend to be commenting on that so I will add my 2 cents. You actually CAN put a car seat (infant/toddler or booster) in the front seat as long as you disable the airbags. But it is HIGHLY recommended that car seats go in the back. Talk to your friend. You would never forgive yourself if her baby got hurt. Get some pamphlets or print off some information. Call your fire department and find out where she can get a free car seat check and direct her that way.
2006-08-17 13:03:22 · answer #2 · answered by gumby 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She is not being smart in regards to her child. No doctor would tell her that her 15 lbs baby can be in a front facing car seat, that is a lie. All infants until age 1 need to be rear-facing. Infant carrier seats go up to about 22 lbs and 29" long, than you move them to a convertible carseat which is still to be rear facing until at least 1 yr. After a year, they can be turned forward facing.
She is going to regret if she gets into an accident and ends up breaking her childs neck, it won't be the fault of the person that hits her, it will be her own fault for not obeying the law and having the baby rear-facing.
As a general rule: Rear facing car seat / infant car seat until 1 year old and 20 lbs. Car seat until 4 years old and 40 lbs. Booster seat until 8 years old and 80 lbs.
2006-08-17 14:25:40 · answer #3 · answered by Ericka K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes!!! Talk to her again. It is completely not safe. Is there a passenger airbag in the front? If there is, that even adds to the danger. I remember a tv report here in LA about what should have been a very minor car accident in a parking lot, where one car was backing out of a parking space and hit another car in the front. The airbag went off on the second car (because it's automatically set to go off on any impact in the front--regardless of the speed of the car). Unfortunately, the woman had her baby in a carseat next to her on the front passenger side. How can I say this? Well, the baby was beheaded by the force of the airbag hitting the carseat against the regular car seat.
So, before something like that happens, tell your friend to put the baby in the backseat where the carseat should go.
2006-08-17 13:57:59 · answer #4 · answered by ♣Tascalcoán♣ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, and then it varies from state to state.
In Illinois, 40 lbs. is the cutoff for removing the harness out of the seat; the seat reamians and then you use the seatbelt only. The seat itself can or can not be secured.
80 lbs. or eight years old (whichever comes first) is when a child seat is no longer needed. Call your local police and ask for the child seat representative officer to assist you with the local laws/regulations and proper installation.
NEVER place a rear facing child seat in the front seat.
NEVER place an infant in a front facing car seat.
2006-08-17 13:10:06 · answer #5 · answered by nflhandicapper 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Baby's are required by law to be 1 year old or 20 pounds before being changed to the front facing seat. The baby will not be able to support it's own head and neck in an accident. You can by your local fire dept. or police station and they will check your car seat to make sure it is up to standards and installed correctly. If you don't like your friend...you could tell the police and they will ticket her.
2006-08-17 13:49:52 · answer #6 · answered by cracker2423 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is NOT safe and she is neglecting and endangering her child. Both the APA (American Pediatric Association), and the NHS (National Highway Safety) state that children under a year AND under 25 pounds should be in a REAR FACING car seat in the back seat.
Look up the websites and print off the information.
A child of that age does not have full neck and spine support. A simple rear end accident could seriously injure the child.
Michigan law is rear facing in the backseat until age 1.
2006-08-17 13:08:28 · answer #7 · answered by jm1970 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes!! Talk to her again!!
That is not safe!! Laws require that you have your baby in a rear facing car seat until they're both one year old and 20lbs.
You need to talk to her again and if she still won't change then report it. It's not something to take lightly.
Are you more worried about the baby's life or your friendship?
2006-08-17 13:43:23 · answer #8 · answered by mistiaya 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What she's doing is so NOT safe. Babies should be in the back seat facing the back of the car.
2006-08-17 13:01:45 · answer #9 · answered by Mary 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Calif. law requires that a child be in an approved car seat secured in the rear seat.
2006-08-17 13:07:07 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋