Car Seat Safety

Just as we purchase organic and natural food,
clothing, toys, bedding and cleaners to help keep
us safe; we also make need to make sure our
children are safely secured into their seats firmly and properly.


We as parents are not taking the time to make sure our children are safely secured in their seats.

The stats say that 75% of babies and children are not put in their car seats properly and I'm guessing a more accurate number for that statistic would be 95%.

I am astonished at what I see on a daily basis just going on an outing to the local store, doing an errand or going to a children's event.

You see everything from children not even in car seats to two children in one seat, a small child in the front seat to a baby being put in a really loose seat belt that isn't going to hold anything.

Last week I even saw a parent ask a small three year children to hop in and put their own seat belt on; the Mom did not even get in the vehicle or check to make sure it was done properly or even done up at all. They could have drove away with that child's seat belt left undone. This is scary and it amazes that children make it home safely.

We may live in a busy, fast paced world but we need to take the time to make sure our children are safe when in our vehicles. The car seat needs to be installed properly, checked regularly, belts checked to make sure they are all attached, straight and that the child is in the proper seat for their age/weight snuggly. That is our resposibility as a parent (which is a right). There are so many car seat safety programs in every neighbourhood and they are almost all free.

I have had a belt in the back of the car seat come loose on a car seat before and if I wans't always checking, my child could have been seat belted properly in the front but would not have been safe at all. When we go to our children's programs they are involved in, we are always the last ones to leave the parking lot. We wondered why and for the next couple of weeks we watched to see what was different or what we were doing wrong. We came to the conclusion that no one was doing their chidren up properly, tightening the belts and half the time the kids are doing it themselves. We were taking so long because we check each seat, secure each child in and re-check again once they are in. I now feel glad/relieved that we are the last ones leaving the parking lot every week.


You would never forgive yourself if something happened and you didn't do all you could to prevent or ensure they are as safe as could be. Parents do want what is best for their children; maybe we just think it won't happen to us. You never know though and you can't predict. It is always better to safe than sorry.

On top of of all of this; how many of you see parents with the windows down and the wind blowing right in the back in the baby's face as they are squinting and gasping for a breath. Also sun shining right a baby's face is another common occurance you may see on your travels; they have great sun blocks for windows nowadays. Another great danger for children is to be in a car with parents who are chatting on their cell phone or fiddling with the radio while driving their children around. The last thing that really bothers me is when you hear a car with loud blaring music coming out of it and look over and see babies or small children in it loosing their hearing as you watch in dismay. These actions should all be against the law and parents be held responsible for their actions. Amen to smoking in a vehicle occupied by a child finally being a crime/illegal!

Please do leave a comment or a situation you have witnessed that left you scratching your head or worried about a child's safety.
Take care!