Ok i just asked a question in regards to the death of my 11 year old cousin. There was one person that said "She was old enough, she should have put it on" (Yea she should have put her seatbelt on but any mother should enforce their kids to wear seatbelts even if they do not want to wear them)
As a mother i make sure a seatbelt in around my son. He sometimes don't want to wear one but he has too and i will not drive without him being buckled up.
What do you all think about that person implying like it was my cousins fault?
2007-10-28 10:55:06 · 30 answers · asked by ஐ♥Julian'sMommy♥ஐ 7 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
i ALWAYS make sure my children are buckled in and i won't allow my husband to even start the car until they are. I don't care if we have to sit there for 3hrs we won't leave our driveway until ALL seatbelts are on including mine and my husbands. We have to be good role models for our children, if they are to learn good lessons in life. Seatbelts do save lives and could have saved the life of your cousin(sorry to bring that up) had the step-mom been more responsible.
My youngest son who is still in a car seat he reminded us the other day "don't leave yet daddy, i not buckled in" and we turned the car off and buckled him in.
We are concerned so much about the crazy drivers where we live that we even installed special mirrors in our van so we could keep an eye on the kids.
I think anyone who fails to ensure their children are safely buckled in should be arrested and charged, i know it sounds harsh but is a fine really enough to make people use seatbelts? Not in my opinion and harsher punishments for offenses like this would be greatly beneficial to everyone and it ensures the safety of every passenger in the vehicle.
2007-10-28 11:43:27 · answer #1 · answered by Wishmaster 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry about your cousin, and in such a tragic situation, I won't place blame - especially since it would add insult to injury, so to speak.
That said, yes, I ALWAYS make sure my son is wearing a seatbelt! He's only 3, so I make it fun by doing the rocket thing from Little Einsteins. He buckles his seatbelt (in his booster seat), and after I check it and buckle mine, we say the line from the show, "Seat belts buckled!" Then we do the "pat, pat pat" and "Raise your arms as high as you can and say, 'Blastoff!'" before I even start the car. He loves pretending the car won't start until he puts on his seatbelt. But he's 3, not 11; he still needs to be reminded to wear his belt.
So, in answer to your question, blame shouldn't be placed anywhere. Yes, the adult driving should have made every child put on a seatbelt, but no, an 11 - year - old should NOT have to be reminded or told to put on a seatbelt. Again, this sounds like a really sad situation and I don't think the aim should be to place blame on anyone.
I'll keep your cousin and your family in my thoughts and prayers.
2007-10-28 19:50:13 · answer #2 · answered by SoBox 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, 1st off it's illegal for kids not to wear their seat belts. Secondly, When my kids were younger we made sure they knew how important seatbelts are, and yes, they DID have to buckle up before we went anywhere (occasionally i would start the car quickly before they were buckled because it would be so cold). In fact when they were little they used to remind grandma to put her seatbelt on!
I think it is the parents responsibility to make sure the kid is buckled up regardless of if he's 11 or 2...heaven forbid something should happen (like an accident), but at the very least you would probably get a ticket
Oh, and I am sorry to hear about your cousin's death. May he rest in peace
2007-10-28 22:26:45 · answer #3 · answered by sweetjadedtears 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I make sure my kids are buckled up. Maybe not necessarily before starting up the vehicle, but before moving the vehicle.
The law here states that the driver is responsible for making sure that anybody under the age of 16 is wearing a seatbelt. (Everybody is required by law to wear a seatbelt here.) This makes sense to me, even if it isn't law where you live. I don't see how an 11yo should be held responsible for something like that. 11yo's are kids without a full understanding of what could happen.
2007-10-28 19:14:02 · answer #4 · answered by glurpy 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ya I wouldn't put the car in gear until everyone is buckled up. I make everyone..no matter kid/adult put on their seatbelt if they ride with me. I'm not taking any chances and if something happens to them I do not want the blame. Some say when the child turns 18 then it's fine but that's their choice. But yes kids under 18 def. need to put their seatbelt on.
2007-10-28 20:35:38 · answer #5 · answered by shortysml 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes I make sure my kids are always buckled up, and more than that EVERYONE who rides in my car has to wear a seat belt before my car will move, I don't care who it is or how short the drive is. Not only is it the law, a person or for that matter a pet not wearing a seat belt or in a car seat can actually turn into a projectile in an accident and can cause serious injury or death to others in the car.
2007-10-28 18:35:30 · answer #6 · answered by barristiababe 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Under the age of 16 (When it is legal for them to drive) a driver can be ticketed for not making sure that a child is buckled up, so yes, it is the parent's repsonsibility. My son is still in his car seat, so I always make sure he is buckled in first, but when my niece is with me (She's 10 1/2) I make sure she has her seatbelt on before I start the car.
2007-10-28 18:20:33 · answer #7 · answered by Ryan's mom 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
2 of my 3 children are still in carseats so I have to get them in 1st before I start the car. Our 9 year old does her own seatbelt, and I do not pull out of the driveway until I have verified that all 3 are properly secured! Not wearing a seatbelt is not a choice in our vehicles. You either wear it or we don't go! That goes for adults as well as children. I do not want to be responsible for someone being injured or killed because they weren't wearing a seatbelt.
2007-10-28 18:04:20 · answer #8 · answered by FLmom3 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I dont have kids but when I look after my nephews and niece I always make sure they have their belts on. My car has a little belt checker and the lights go off when the belts are buckled in, if a light is still on theres no way I will move that car until the light goes off. And when im driving and the light comes up i pull over and start kickin some a'ss and make them buckle back up :)
2007-10-28 20:33:47 · answer #9 · answered by :] 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son's are like the answerer before me (erinjl12) They
always put there seatbelt on with no reminder and even
check to make sure I have mine on as well with the exception
of my three year old who needs help getting buckled.
My oldest son is nine and when he was six months old a carseat saved his life when we had a car accident in
an icy storm. My nine and six year old know how important
it is to be in a carseat, or to wear your seatbelt.
I do not think it is your cousin's fault - the mother should
have made sure she was wearing her seatbelt especially if
she knew she did not like wearing the seatbelt.
2007-10-28 18:04:30 · answer #10 · answered by georgia_peach 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋