I’m not a big "safety" fan. I let my stepson ride his bike without a helmet. And if you haven’t heard my anti car seat tirade, here it is: I think car seat manufacturers lobby to get car seat laws passed so that they can get rich. I think your kid might be safer – but odds of them getting hurt to start with were so small that it doesn’t matter.
So when my dad stopped by to grab Caleb and asked if it was ok if he rode in the front seat of a pick up truck without a carseat … and I said no … well, I really had to stop and think. (I mean, did I just really say no? To just riding in a truck?)
I’ve decided I’m brainwashed. Even though I think the risk of Caleb getting hurt by riding in the front seat of the pickup are too small to worry about, I’ve been taught that he isn’t safe – and I’m not a good mom – if he’s not in a car seat.
Pretty soon we’re going to be bad people if our dogs aren’t wearing seat belts. And you’ll even feel guilty when your dog isn’t wearing a seat belt.
Wow. I totally disagree with you on carseats. I have let my child take short rides without them, but children die in accidents when they aren’t properly secured.
FYI, even though I think they don’t improve the odds of our children making it to adulthood by much, I never let my kid go without a carseat!
Adults die in accidents too. I just think we’re in a never ending quest to make our live totally injury proof and I’m not sure it’s with it. Caleb would have enjoyed a morning on the farm with his grandpa and he didn’t get to go because of a .1%? .01%? .001? chance that he might be in a car accident on the way there and the seatbelt wouldn’t be enough to keep him safe …
We never even wore seatbelts in the backseat growing up and while I know people that were in accidents, and people that were hurt, I don’t know any that died. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, I’m just saying the odds are small and I’m no longer sure all the safety precautions are worth it. Caleb missed a morning with his grandpa because I was afraid of … afraid of what?
Ok, finally someone with some common sense. I totally agree that all these absurdly overdone carseat laws are the results of the greedy car seat makers. I’m in an “in em’ till their 8” state. I own 6 car seats. Not to mention a mini van because I can’t fit three carseats in our car. I would put my little one in a carseat with or without a law, but my 7 year old doesn’t need a seat and I shouldn’t be forced to put him in one. Or drive a van when gas is $4 a gallon because of all the carseats. Or feel guilty about not wanting him in one. Good grief. I thought this was a free country.