Car Two Sharing One Seatbelt?

Absolutely NOT! They probably aren't even legal or safe to be using seatbelts without carseat/booster seats. How sad for the kids that their parents even agreed to it.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no and no a thousand times more!

And besides ALL of these kids should be in boosters or harnessed carseats for safety's sake. In most states it's also illegal to transport a child under the age of 8 without a booster.

Who cares about legal, its not safe. What is with those parents? This has "bad idea" written all over it.

only if you don't like two of the kids.

i'm kidding.

I'm going to go ahead and go out on a limb and say (without checking) NOOOOOO!

www.seatcheck.org has state specific seat belt laws.

Yeah, we didn't have seatbelt laws when I was growing up but we also didn't have effective chemo, radiation and MRI's!

Absolutely not legal. I can't even wrap my mind around that logic. Perhaps, if the two sharing the belt are in the middle, the police won't see, but I am positive that seatbelts weren't crash-tested for two people. Wow. Which two children are they okay with being injured/killed?

Most kids in Kindergarden and 1st grade still need booster seats.

Absolutely not. My question to you would be.. do you really have to wonder if it's legal? I know I may seem a bit blunt and I am sorry for that, but I was a bit shocked by the question.

The parents that said it was ok.. PLEASE do NOT listen to them. If your gut instinct is telling you that it is not okay.. then don't do it.. even if you find it questionable.. just to be on the safe side. Think about the situation in your mind and play it out as if there was a car wreck while the children are sharing seat belts.. what do you think the natural order of the bodies and the car impact would create? The children would be at the very least, seriously jarred depending on how bad the wreck could potentially be.. not to mention.. we are talking about K-3 children.. not adults. Of course, it is also not okay for an adult, but an adult is at least of a larger size and has a better chance of protecting themselves in a car accident.

My point is.. with this situation and any others that may come up in the future where you feel the need to question someones idea of safety.. go with that feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes you feel unsure whether it's the right thing to do or not.

Not ok. Not safe. The parents that said it was fine, should be sterilized!

Without a second thought, I am sure it is not legal. A seatbelt is not designed to be shared. Plus I am sure you would need a booster seat to position that belt correctly.

I wouldn't care if the other parents said or thought it was okay. I see a HUGE liability (for you I assume) if the unthinkable happened. Plus I couldn't imagine the guilt.

As I tell my kids all the time, we never intend to have an accident and that's why it is called just that.

I applaud you for thinking twice!

That is WAYYYYYY to dangerous!!!! Sadly in Kansas it is legal to have a child/person unrestrained if there are not enough belts, but you would be taking a chance that in a wreck the children sharing a belt (or one not belted) may die because of it. Those kids do need to be in booster seats unless they can sit in the seat with their knees bend at the seat like you do. Don't do it! Even if the parents say it is okay. It will be on your concience if one of them dies from sharing a belt, being in the front seat, not haveing the proper seat (booster) or being unrestrained.

God bless!

Whether it's legal, or not...this is a BAD idea. Totally not worth it. Find another driver and spread out the kids between to cars. You really should look up your laws. It would most definitely be illegal here. Like I said, even if it's legal, I don't think it's acceptable. I would NEVER drive a car will children shoved in like that. Car wrecks are very common. I couldn't live with myself, if there was a tragedy, because they were shoved in like sardines.

Are YOU ok with this Kay? If it were me, I don't know how I'd ever forgive myself (parents permission or not) if there was an accident and a child in my care was injured because he/she wasn't properly belted in. This seems very very unsafe, and doubtfully legal. I would not risk it.

It is ABSOLUTELY NOT legal but forgetting about state laws, look the laws of physics. Seatbelts were made/crash tested for one, not two passengers! And I agree, that most of this age group still requires a boosters. I would question how safe these parents are if they would risk their children's lives like this?

NO! They should still be in booster seats!

The kids ages aside, sharing a seatbelt isn't legal for adults (at least not in my state).
I wouldn't risk putting 4 kids in a backseat, that isn't meant to have that many passangers. Find a different way.

No, this is never okay and NEVER legal.

I am thankful the two of you won't do it anymore. Saw this after you answered what happened but want to also remind you not to put the kids in a seat facing an airbag and do not put coats on while in 5 point restraint car seats. No seat belt or restraint works properly with more in it than it was designed for, be it a second kid or a coat. Have them put the coats over the front of them with the coat not buckled in

NO WAY! I would never do something like that. What if you got in an accident? Or if you get pulled over? Not a good idea at all!

It looks like you got your answer. =) I wouldn't take a chance. Safety first! Good luck!

First of all, most K kids, and many first graders are still legally required to be in a booster or car seat in most states, so check your state law on that. Here in AK they have to be 80 pounds or 8 years old before they can legally ride without a booster seat. Also, it is just plain unsafe. I would not do it, anther parent needs to offer up a second car.

Is it legal? Probably not. Do lot's of us do it? Probably so.
I'm a miracle, they didnt have seat belts while I was growing up ;)

In the event of an emergency... absolutely. Far beats the alternative. For something planned or on a regular basis? Absolutely not.

Is the front seat available?

Check your local state laws... they vary from state to state. In ours the law specifically states that children under the age of x, and weight of y, MUST be in the back seat whenever PRACTICAL. This law is true for every state I've driven through (about 20). It's to cover things like 2 seater cars, trucks, transporting things in a back seat that it would be dangerous to have a child back there, and when you have 4 kids and 3 back seats.

Are you serious? No way! I'm surprised you got an ok from that many parents.

CALL AND FIND OUT IF IT'S LEGAL. Beyond that...imagine an accident and decide how you (or those parents) would feel about the convienience of transporting all four that way then. I know I wouldn't even consider doing this and it seems irresponsible to do it just because someone else said it was o.k. with them. K-3 still require car seats anyway....how in the world would you streatch two seatbelts over 4 carseats? NO WAY is this acceptable!

Absolutely not, and most of the kids need to be in a booster anyway.

What you CAN do is put three in the back seat each in theri own belt with appropriate car seat /booster, and put one in the front seat, seat all the way back with a car seat /booster and turn the airbag off. Having a child appropriately seated in the front seat in a booster is much safer than sharing a seat belt with another unrestrained child.

Boosters until age 8, 80lbs, 4'9" tall. No exceptions.

I would ask your self...would you allow your child to be one of the ones buckled together...probably not. Even if the parents agreed, you could have a wreck and someone could be really hurt or worse. Could you live with knowing that you hurt someone else's baby. It might be convenient but I'd find another way.

I would only do it in an emergency.

Sounds like 4 tickets to me.

No, it's not, and at that age they should still be in booster seats. I'd check out the dmv's website on this one...

NO! Safety belts are designed to hold 1 person, not 2. Any place I ever lived its illegal even though I did that for many years as a kid in the 80's

OH HELL NO! I'm an insurance agent in AZ and you are just ASKING for a law suit. Find someone else to drive or don't go.

Are you a Girl Scout/Brownie Leader? GSUSA has a policy against this as well as a requirement to put them in booster seats up to a weight beyond most states' laws.

Seems like you got plenty of answers about the legal aspect of this question, I have a different spin on it... If those parents thought this situation was safe, are they doing this in their car with your child?? It seems almost like a round-a-bout way of asking your permission to do so - i.e. if you do it with my child then we can do it with yours.

Also, despite what some Moms said, I think it was good that you asked the question. I think in your heart you knew it was a wrong/bad situation and it was easier to have some back up when you had the conversation with the other parents.

Kuddos.
~C.