Would you let your 2 & 4yr old in a car without carseats?

[loulabelle]

I would have walked or not gone too.
It's just not a big deal, I don't know why they even made a fuss, you weren't asking them to walk.

Saying that though, I have had my kids in without a car seat in a taxi once. It was an emergency though and our car was being services at the time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so forgive spelling mistakes

[aussienic]

I would have walked as well. Apart from it being the law to be in carseats it is not safe so why risk it for any amount of time..

[berrme]

so this "being from older gen" excuse does not wash with me.

OP, you did the right thing. No-one will protect your child, like you do. Shame on those people for pressuring you to put your kids at risk.

It really annoys me too. So what if they are old? There is no excuse to be ignorant and argue with someone over decisions they make for the safety of their children. I don't drink when pregnant but my FIL can't get his head around the notion of going without ANY alcohol. I hear the excuse that he is from a generation where it was OK, just let it go... but I don't see why I should. He needs to get over it and stop offering me drinks and asking if I am sure about my decision every 5 minutes.

That was a little off the point , I have taken my children unrestrained in a taxi when it was legal to do so, but I never would if walking was an option. They have changed the taxi laws and you need restraints in them too now. The thing that bugs me is that they made you feel bad about your decision when it was the right decision and it is entirely yours to make. Don't feel bad!

[HotI]

In Victoria it is still legal to travel in taxis with kids without car seats

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/...Restraints.htm
Do we need a child restraint in a taxi?
By law, taxi drivers do not have to provide child restraints or booster seats. However, they must ensure there is at least one anchor fi tting ready for passengers who wish to supply their own. If you can, take your child’s restraint with you.

Children under 1 year do not have to use a child restraint, but they must travel in the back seat.
Children over 1 year should be seated in their own seating position in a taxi, with their own properly fastened seatbelt if no suitable child restraint or booster seat is available in the taxi.

ETA in taxis. oops, sorry about that.

[Astrid]

My MIL believes that we would not need expensive carseats if they made cars like they did in the old days She understands that we need to use them, but does not agree. Before DD1 was born she was so happy that she had found us a carseat. I assumed she meant on special somewhere, but no, it was an old one that had sat in someone's shed for years. We had to rush out and buy a seat before she tried to bring it over on the plane with her.

I would have walked as well, really with that distance it would have been nice for everyone to have a walk.

HotI - you may want to edit your post to state "travel with kids in Taxis"

[AndiE]

Having seen what happens to an "average four-year-old" crash test dummy that is restrained by a seatbelt but not sitting in a car/booster seat, I'd never in a million years let my children go anywhere in a car unless they were in an approved car seat/booster seat. They are just physically too little to be protected by a seat belt only. I think I was pg with DS2 when I saw the crash test dummy footage - I felt sick. You were definitely right to walk.
ps: I'm another who was put in a bassinett basket with a seatbelt somehow put around it (b '72). Thank God times have changed.

[berrme]

In Victoria it is still legal to travel with kids without car seats

That is interesting. I just checked, and apparently QLD didn't change the rules. I thought it changed over when the new rules about which children go in which restraints came into legislation. Obviously I would rather have my children restrained, but it does make trips to the airport etc more difficult when you have to take child seats with you.

[AndiE]

That is interesting. I just checked, and apparently QLD didn't change the rules. I thought it changed over when the new rules about which children go in which restraints came into legislation. Obviously I would rather have my children restrained, but it does make trips to the airport etc more difficult when you have to take child seats with you.

I hear you and we just take it for granted that we'll take our car to the airport and leave it in the long-term parking. A pain in the bum, naturally, but it's our preference.

[Astrid]

Victorian Child restraint info here:
Child restraints : VicRoads

Please read for yourself, as there is some incorrect information in some of the posts.

[aussienic]

My MIL believes that we would not need expensive carseats if they made cars like they did in the old days She understands that we need to use them, but does not agree. Before DD1 was born she was so happy that she had found us a carseat. I assumed she meant on special somewhere, but no, it was an old one that had sat in someone's shed for years. We had to rush out and buy a seat before she tried to bring it over on the plane with her.

My MIL did the same thing when we were pg with Ds1. It was the oldest thing ever. Even back then I knew you couldn't use it.. We just told her straight up no we wouldn't be using the seat but thanks for the offer.. and the rare time she had our son we either just swapped cars or took the seat out and put it in hers..

[Jas]

Good on you for walking! There is not even the tiniest chance I would have let my kids (who happen to be the same ages) get it one of those cars!! NOT A CHANCE!!

[Shanti]

Yep, def would have walked here too!! Only 10mins walk isn't far and worth it for their safety!! That's rude how they made you feel that way.

DD has been overseas twice with us since born and been in taxi's with no car seats it made me feel horrible but that was a different scenario altogether and if we'd been able to walk the distances then we would have.
(Fiji have no laws about carseats nor does Thailand!!!)

[misty]

I would have walked, and I would have made a big deal about what a bunch of lazy so and so's they all are for driving somewhere very easily within walking distance!!! Seriously!! No wonder people's waitelines are expanding nowdays!

[KimmyF]

I would have walked too, as OP have said, it is illegal for a reason, and the reason the laws have changed is because of better testing, technology and experience, kids who are not restrained are at a greater risk of death or injury if involved in an accident. I remember reading a great quote in someone's signature on here it went something like 'not using a car seat for a short trip is like not using a condom for a quickie!" To me thats sums it up perfectly!
I had a similar issue a little while back when my DS was involved in a wedding, I asked about the transportation to and from wedding as DS is 2 and needs a car seat and I made it very clear that under no circumstances was he travelling in a car without a car seat, luckily the bride and groom were more than happy for me to bring DS to the wedding venue otherwise we might have had a very difficult situation as I was not going to compromise!
Anyway sorry for my tangent there, you did the right thing there is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to traffic and road safety

[Jennifer13]

In NSW children of that age are required to be in proper car seats (in fact, up to seven years of age). So I would have flatly refused to put my children in the car too, yes. It's a law here for a very good reason!

[8weeks]

I would have walked, like you did.