Seat Belts for Kids

[cross]

I swear the next time I pass by a car with children jumping around in the back seat, leaning through the gap in the front seats to 'talk' with Mum and Dad I'm going to floor someone.  I understood there is a serious fine for not using seat belts in the back of the car - maybe I'm wrong. So what are they doing about it?  The slightest touch on the brakes and that child will turn into a human cannon ball, hurtling through the front windscreen.  Why then are the authorities so complascent (sorry, struggling with my spelling here!)?  Let's do the same for wearing seat belts as they've done for using mobile phones in the car.  Impose a big fine and a ban.  Oh and by the way, save a few lives as well!

[Layla]

I must admit i agree and find it a little scary.

I must also admit I dont know what the laws are regarding this but what i also find frustrating is the fact that most expats come from a seat belt wearing society and as soon as they get over here (i know that i am gerneralising here ) they stop wearing them in the back seat, we know that its safer to wear them and anyone that has ridden in a cab will know how you slide around in the back if you dont have one on.

Also to do with cabs is the fact that you can have 6 children in them, with the way people drive over here, and im not being critical just practical, there is some pretty serious risk to these kids

Anyway im with you cross, please tell me that there arent people out there who have come from a culture of seat belt who are letting their kids slide around in the back seat !!!

[This message has been edited by Layla (edited 26-06-2001).]

[cross]

The expats are as guilty as everyone else - this makes me even crosser - they should know better!

[JD]

I agree with you. We spent hours fretting over the right kind of car seat for our wee one and a long time pouring over the instructions to ensure it was installed properly. I even have a harness that our dog wears so he can be belted up in the car too. 19kg of flying dog could do serious damage to him and us in an accident.
It is fun to see the faces on drivers when I pull up at traffic lights and they casually glance across and do a double take when they see our dog in the front seat, wearing his seatbelt and staring back at them! Locals obviously think I am nuts belting up the dog when they pile kids in willy nilly.

[Belt Up!]

I frequently use taxis and am appalled that many Taxis either do not have seatbelts or they do not operate properly (either will not belt up properly or do not lock when strained.) So sometimes you may see me wrestling with my 2 year old on tyhe back seat. My main concern is that they do not carry a bolster seat or some sort of belt adaptor so that travelling with toddlers is safe and reliable.
Those who condemn  should try relying on taxis as their sole form of transpoart with a toddler, then be more simpathetic to a situation which I do not like either.

[Hmm]

Belt up- I travel in taxi's all the time with my 10 month old. He is strapped in either with him being on my lap or by himself. I always state when ordering a cab that the seat belts have to be in working order as I'm travelling with a baby, although it does not always work, in which case i send the cab away and re-order another one.

JD, tee hee, my dog has his own belt too!

And yes, I could also stop my car and knock some sense into the drivers, wether it's local or expat, that let their children "hang free in the middle"

[KathyC]

Our local friends do not understand why the hell we spend a small fortune on car seats for our 5 yr old twins (we bought the Recaro Start). They even find us crazy if I tell them I can not give them a ride as there is an airbag in the front passenger seat which can not be switched off. Their reply, my child can sit on their lap.

When we shopped for a car, the car dealers find us crazy that we were looking at the back seat as we needed to fit the two car seats and guests.

The point is, why risk injury on your child (and I have seen the aftermath of kids in car accidents when I was working as an ER physician) if you could avoid it at such a small cost. You will regret it for life if something would happen to your kids, because of saving some pennies. Especially here in Singapore, no matter have a safe driver youa re, your fellow road users are the ones exposing you to an increased risk,

The worst thing I have seen was a local family using the Safety First table booster seat (the colourfull one with attached tray), strapped on the back seats using ropes and the 3-point seat belt. We were parked next to them and they had a look at ours. When I commented on the dangers, their relpy: this one only SGD 30. Also can. Is booster seat. Never mind it is not an appropriate car sea. Penny wise pund foolish.

[Anna]

The thing that annoys me the most about taxis and back seat belts is when they have removed the middle seat belt and also removed the wrong seat belt clip!!
So if you're sitting in the back next to the window, you still can't put the seat belt on because the clip is for the middle belt whic has been removed!!!
Aaaaagh! You'd think they'd check which belt goes in which clip before removing it, wouldn't you?
The worst thing is that I have come across this so often....