Wear your seatbelt!!!

[Deleted]

And make sure everyone in your vehicle does too.  I can't imagine what this 16 year old is feeling right now.  Five of his family members dead because of him.  But for crying out loud, WTF didn't those parents make sure everyone was wearing seatbelts! 

cw33.com/2014/11/20/deadly-trip-5-killed-in-family-trip-to-disney-world/?hpt=us_bn8

[Deleted]

Nov 21, 2014 11:59:12 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

And make sure everyone in your vehicle does too.  I can't imagine what this 16 year old is feeling right now.  Five of his family members dead because of him.  But for crying out loud, WTF didn't those parents make sure everyone was wearing seatbelts! 

cw33.com/2014/11/20/deadly-trip-5-killed-in-family-trip-to-disney-world/?hpt=us_bn8

that was one of my first thoughts when I read the article....and the other one was, who the hell lets their 16 year old drive late at night on a long trip?

[Deleted]

I worry about my younger son's Dad.  He's kind of "lax" in that area, so I try really hard to instill in DS that they are not an option, so when I'm not with him he'll put it on without his Dad telling him to.

[Deleted]

It pisses me off.  If you want to be stupid when you're an adult go at it, but make your kids wear them.  They were teachers for crying out loud.  Those kids could have all been fine had they not been ejected from the vehicle.

[Wisconsin Beth]

When I was a kid on long car rides, we used to unbuckle the seat belts so we could sleep more comfortably on the drive.  But this was in a station wagon in the late 70s to early 80s. 

[goldensam]

I just read that the kid is being charged.

[Deleted]

Nov 21, 2014 12:34:25 GMT -5 goldensam said:

I just read that the kid is being charged.

and I don't know if I agree with that....I feel like the parents have a lot of blame but of course they're not around to charge.

[Deleted]

I'm not exactly sure how you can punish him anymore than he already is.  I'll bet he wishes he was one of the ones that didn't make it.

I think it's the 4 year old that really got to me.  My 4 year old is still in a 5 point harness.  He can still get his hand down his pants when he naps. 

[Deleted]

There was 8 of them in there.  It was a Tahoe or Suburban, but I'm guessing they all would have had to sleep sitting up anyhow. 

[Lizard Queen]

Nov 21, 2014 12:38:26 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

Nov 21, 2014 12:11:27 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

When I was a kid on long car rides, we used to unbuckle the seat belts so we could sleep more comfortably on the drive.  But this was in a station wagon in the late 70s to early 80s. 

Mom used to make up beds in the back of the family roadster so we could sleep on long car rides (same timeframe).  

I remember one 8 hour car ride when I was 5 where I was made a bed in the floor space in the front seat.  Protip.. Fiat Spider's do not make for comfortable family car trips. 

My brother used to sleep across the front seat on my mom's lap, or in the way-back part of the station wagon, which made a nice bed.  This was also in the 80's.  Of course, my dad didn't try to drive at night either.

[mollyanna58]

Nov 21, 2014 12:34:25 GMT -5 goldensam said:

I just read that the kid is being charged.

With what?  What can the law do to him that's worse than what's already happened?

[Lizard Queen]

I don't feel like it's the 16 year old's fault at all.  His parents were there and let him drive late at night despite being a new driver.  His parents were there, and they let all those kids not wear their seatbelts.

[Deleted]

Nov 21, 2014 12:45:46 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

I don't feel like it's the 16 year old's fault at all.  His parents were there and let him drive late at night despite being a new driver.  His parents were there, and they let all those kids not wear their seatbelts.

[Deleted]

I do think people are way too overprotective and paranoid these days, but seatbelts have proven themselves to be the difference between walking away unscathed and dead so many times that not wearing one just seems idiotic, and I'm one that also grew up sleeping on the floor or rear window and riding in the back of pick ups. 

[taz157]

Nov 21, 2014 12:45:46 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

I don't feel like it's the 16 year old's fault at all.  His parents were there and let him drive late at night despite being a new driver.  His parents were there, and they let all those kids not wear their seatbelts.

Yeah that!

[cronewitch]

They hadn't invented seat belts when I was a child but now here the driver must make sure everyone under 16 is buckled up so the driver not the parents was in charge of seat belts for the kids.
I remember taking my niece and nephew someplace and saying buckle up and they asked why grandpa didn't need to. I explained he thought he was only hurting himself if he died. I explained he would also hurt everyone who loved him if he died. If they died it would hurt their parents and everyone who loved them so it wasn't a personal choice. As driver if stopped I would be charged for each child and myself and my dad would be charged for himself.

This driver recklessly endangered himself and the children. He shouldn't be charged with reckless endangerment maybe but seat belt violations for all children and himself. If I was judge I would let him off because of his young age and that he wasn't man enough to enforce rules while his parents were there.

[steph08]

I wear my seatbelt everywhere - even to drive to the post office that is less than a tenth of a mile down a residential street that gets maybe five cars/day.

For every car accident where "if they would have been wearing a seatbelt, they would have died," there are thousands of accidents where "if they would have been wearing a seatbelt, they would have lived."

[happyhoix]

Can't begin to imagine why they let a 16 year old drive in the middle of the night. Of COURSE he fell asleep.

This poor kid's life is ruined, and it's the parents who are to blame.

[Deleted]

Nov 21, 2014 13:01:09 GMT -5 cronewitch said:

They hadn't invented seat belts when I was a child but now here the driver must make sure everyone under 16 is buckled up so the driver not the parents was in charge of seat belts for the kids.
I remember taking my niece and nephew someplace and saying buckle up and they asked why grandpa didn't need to. I explained he thought he was only hurting himself if he died. I explained he would also hurt everyone who loved him if he died. If they died it would hurt their parents and everyone who loved them so it wasn't a personal choice. As driver if stopped I would be charged for each child and myself and my dad would be charged for himself.

This driver recklessly endangered himself and the children. He shouldn't be charged with reckless endangerment maybe but seat belt violations for all children and himself. If I was judge I would let him off because of his young age and that he wasn't man enough to enforce rules while his parents were there.

actually an unbuckled person in an accident is a danger to everyone else inside and outside of the car....inside they can fly around and injure people....outside if they're ejected from the car they can cause another accident.

everyone in my car is wearing a seatbelt....if they don't want to wear a seatbelt they can get out and walk.

[Pants]

DD is 2 and we already have the seat belt talk. In fact the other day my neck was locked up, so I didn't put my seatbelt on literally just to back out of the driveway and she started screaming "Seat belt Mommy, Seat belt for safety!" LOL, taught her too well I guess?

ETA: Telling her I was just backing out and would put it on in 1 second didn't work, either.

[Deleted]

Nov 21, 2014 13:02:08 GMT -5 steph08 said:

I wear my seatbelt everywhere - even to drive to the post office that is less than a tenth of a mile down a residential street that gets maybe five cars/day.

For every car accident where "if they would have been wearing a seatbelt, they would have died," there are thousands of accidents where "if they would have been wearing a seatbelt, they would have lived."

They say most accidents are within a few miles of home, I never got the "I only wear them on long drives" excuse. 

My uncle is alive today due to his seatbelt and the accident was at the end of his driveway. If you were to see his car, you would never think someone walked away from that, but he did.

[Baby Fawkes]

I really don't understand the resistance to wearing seat belts. I've grown up where it was always law so it was just second nature for me to wear a belt. It actually feels wrong not have it buckled when I'm sat in the car for the odd time that I"m just moved it in the driveway or something. 

[The Captain]

In my family the car doesn't move until everyone is buckled up.  No exceptions. 

As far as the kid not taking any blame.  I have to disagree with that.  Driving while tired is just as dangerous as driving while impaired (as is driving while texting)  and they are teaching that in drivers' ed these days. 

The old argument of what can the law do to him that is worse than what already happened is weak IMHO.  Would anyone here use the same argument for a parent that killed their 4 kids while driving drunk?  Didn't think so.

If you are old enough to drive a car, then dammit, you should be old enough to show proper judgment in doing so.

The parents showed an appalling lack of judgment (as did the driver/person in control of the car).  It's too bad the other kids paid the ultimate price for it.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

DD is 2 and we already have the seat belt talk. In fact the other day my neck was locked up, so I didn't put my seatbelt on literally just to back out of the driveway and she started screaming "Seat belt Mommy, Seat belt for safety!" LOL, taught her too well I guess?

I got you beat. Gwen took her stuffed minion in the car with her one day. I got her into her booster seat and was putting on my seat belt when she yelled "Minion! He not buckled in". So I had to get out and buckle the minion up before we could leave. Even stuffed animals/dolls have to be safe in my car.

The talk about seat belts went back to the smooshed squirrel I used to illustrate what happens when you don't look both ways and hold mommy's hand before crossing the street. I explained if you don't wear your seatbelt you'll fly thru the windshield and end up a smooshed squirrel.

Works really well too because she caught Daddy not buckling up and she told him do it or he'd end up a smooshed squirrel. I had to explain to DH what that meant.

[Deleted]

Nov 21, 2014 12:48:12 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

Nov 21, 2014 12:42:49 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

My brother used to sleep across the front seat on my mom's lap, or in the way-back part of the station wagon, which made a nice bed.  This was also in the 80's.  Of course, my dad didn't try to drive at night either.

My parents usually set out at night so that they could drive while we were sleeping.  But yeah,  there wasn't any thought of wearing seat belts then 

Cars didn't have seat belts when I was kid.

[Lizard Queen]

If the parents weren't there, it would be a completely different story, but they were there, and a 16 yo is still a minor.  The parents are setting the example, by not buckling up themselves.  If 16 yo insists on seatbelts and parents don't care, who are the kids going to listen to?

[HoneyBBQ]

Nov 21, 2014 12:34:25 GMT -5 goldensam said:

I just read that the kid is being charged.

For what? That's stupid.

[HoneyBBQ]

I can't believe the kids weren't wearing seatbelts, either? WTF.

[The Captain]

Nov 21, 2014 13:28:31 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

If the parents weren't there, it would be a completely different story, but they were there, and a 16 yo is still a minor.  The parents are setting the example, by not buckling up themselves.  If 16 yo insists on seatbelts and parents don't care, who are the kids going to listen to?

My Dad (who had a commercial DL) taught me how to drive.  This was before seat belts were mandatory.  I told him the driving instructor said we were not supposed to start the car until everyone was buckled.  He never argued with me and actually starting wearing them all the time after that.  That was kinda big because he was getting in and out of the delivery truck so often.  Yea, I'd hound him about it.

[justme]

Nov 21, 2014 12:11:27 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

When I was a kid on long car rides, we used to unbuckle the seat belts so we could sleep more comfortably on the drive.  But this was in a station wagon in the late 70s to early 80s. 

My parents got seatbelt extenders so we could still be buckled in some fashion during the middle of the night. Sometimes we were so wrapped up that when I was woken up to go to the bathroom I couldn't figure out how to get out of the seatbelt.