In the state of Michigan, all occupants of a vehicle require a seat belt while seated in a vehicle. This is especially true for children who require a booster seat (up until the height of 4'9" and under age 8).
When I took a road trip this weekend and saw a woman holding a child on her lap in the front passenger seat of an SUV, I became completely infuriated. It also appeared that the adult woman herself was not even wearing a seat belt! I didn't so much care that this woman wasn't wearing her seat belt, because I couldn't care less what happened to her - if she's stupid enough to not wear it, she gets what she deserves. But the child?! Maybe the child knows better at that age, but likely not. If this guardian of hers lets her sit in an adult's lap in the front seat of a car, the rule of "always buckle up" has not been instilled in this child's brain, and likely may never.
I once saw a man waiting to turn right off a highway exit ramp, and his young child was standing on the front passenger seat leaning over the dashboard with his hands planted firmly on the passenger airbag such that he could be "just like daddy" and look to the left to check for oncoming traffic.
Allowing children to roam free in a moving vehicle is simply NOT a good idea. Even if you're waiting at a traffic light you could be rear-ended or clipped at any time, even if your vehicle is not moving - you should ALWAYS wear a seat belt. Although a child doesn't weigh as much as an adult, it can quickly and easily become a projectile and be thrown from the vehicle. I feel completely disgusted that adults do not understand this simple concept and refuse to comply with seat belt laws when it comes to their children. It's for their safety!
No comments:
Post a Comment