OK, I know it isn't just me who would be upset by this. Today while my husband and I were driving around town we saw this couple with two kids. They looked about 2ish ans 4ish. The mom and dad were buckled in the front seat, However the kids were not. There were no car seats or seat belts on these girls. I was so appalled, disgusted, and afraid. That was the worst thing I think I have ever seen. The worst part was the oldest one was standing up leaning into the front seat. Does anybody know if I could have called the police or anything to report the negligent behavior of these parents???
Thank you to everyone who responded. IF I ever see this again I will definitely call the non emergency number for the police. I would like to note though, to a certain response about minding my own business. In a situation like this nobody should mind there own. Children's lives were in danger, and the parents had no regard for for there little lives. Some one has to if the parents will not. My mother has been a foster parent for many years, and I have seen what happens when others turn there heads and mind there own.
Also, another mother asked how I could tell and if for sure the parents were buckled. It was VERY visible through there window right next to us that they were wearing seat belts. Somehow I think I might not have been so appalled had they not been buckled themselves. At least then it would have seemed they had no regard for life period....Although that really isn't better..`
Anyway, Thanks again for all the responses and helpful suggestions
Yes you can call the police. you will need to give them the tag number and follow that car till the police show up.
It might save a life. people who do things like that most likley are failing in child care on a nother level too.
becky
I definetly would have called and reported them. Not to be a tattletale, but to protect these small children! Who cares about the law! This is SOOOOOO unsafe!!!!
I think you could have called the police. I know in most states it's against the law to be buckled in, especially when the passengers are children. I think it's awful when parents don't protect their children!!
yes, most of us don't agree with this situation, but mind your own business!!!!
I know this is a little bit of a late response but I was reading some of the others and had to chime in.
Those that say 'mind your own business' and 'how do you know the kids didn't unstrap themselves and the parents didn't realize it' is infuriating. If a dad walked up to his kid in playground and punched him in the head for doing something the dad didn't like, would you be right to mind your own business?
And the argument that maybe the parents didn't know the kids were unstrapped is a joke. If you are that unaware of your surroundings when driving - you shouldn't be driving. Period. T. even said that one of the kids was leaning into the front seat.
Yeah, so, your generation didn't have carseats - so what? Why don't we take a look at the child mortality statistics for those periods of time and see how many more deaths occurred in cars? Also remember more mothers stayed home with their children almost all the time, so there were less people driving around with kids in their cars altogether, and when they did drive as a family they weren't doing so as often or for as long a trip at a time. Cars were also bigger and much heavier, and there weren't giant SUV's all over the road either.
Also, a child in a car turns into a projectile much easier and at a much lower driving speed than an adult when a car hits anything/stops suddenly. They just don't weigh as much and so are thrown that much more easily.
Lastly, a child not in a carseat at the very least is a distraction to the driver and thus becomes a risk for everyone else on the road. So really, T. and the rest of us *are* minding our own business.
Look, I'm not looking to start a debate but some of these responses really got my dander up. You want to pop your kids' butt in public, *that's* your business (you beat them, then we'll have a problem, but I'm not opposed to spanking). You refuse to put them in a carseat and risk their *life* and the wellbeing of others on the road then I'm going to make it my business.
Oh yeah, and how many of you are assuming that those were *their* kids in the car? Do you know if other people driving *your* kids anywhere are buckling them up?
That's it. I'm done. Have a nice day.
I would think this would fall under "child endangerment". I would have called the police; just to find out. Get a license plate and report it. About all you could have done.
Yes, that type of thing is acceptable for a 911 call. Give the description and location and direction of travel of the car and the plate number if you can.
B.
I know you've already received a lot of responses, and I didn't scroll through them all but I had a thought...what if the adults you saw were not these girl's parents? Naive uncle and aunt maybe? Maybe they are foreigners to our country and are not familiar with our laws. What if the girls unbuckled themselves? My kids have, yes while driving down the road. What if you just happened to see them at that moment? Could it be they were in the process of pulling over? Your little girl is still very young, but as she ages she will pull some sneaky stuff that you will be appalled at. And when she does, your thoughts will be..."I hope no one saw that!" Please, don't misunderstand, I am not condoning these people's choice-it was undeniably wrong. I just want to help you see that there will be a time when you make a bad judgment call and really hope no one is going to report you. Just, ponder on it.
If you are really concerned about the safety of the children (which I would be too!), in Louisville you can call ###-###-#### which is the phone number for dispatch for LMPD. The operator would need to know things like location, direction of travel, license plate number and make and model of the car if possible and if an officer is in the area, they will try to locate the vehicle.
Yes, you could call the police. My sister called 911 with her cell phone while following a family & the sheriff's department came out & pulled the car over for breaking car seat laws. It's best to get a licence plate # in case you get separated from them or choose not to follow them.
Chill out. When I was growing up there were no seat belts. Thousands upon thousands of school children ride in school busses every day without seat belts. In a busy city, heavy traffic, belts are a good idea but live and let live. Judge not.
Actually I do know. My brother in law is the chief of police in small town near my own. If you got the license plate number and make and model of car, color, etc. they would find them and do something. Whether it would be a citation, or what I am not sure. It is worthwhile to try. Good Luck!
Wendy
Yeah, I actually called that non-emergency ###-###-#### police number when I saw something similar last week. Just get the car's color, style, license plate number (if possible) and tell the police which direction the car was heading when you saw it. They'll have their cars if that area keep an eye out for that car, and they'll stop them. Good luck!
Yes! If you ever come across this again, write down or memorize the make, model, color and license plate of the car. License plate first as it's most important. Also be aware of what road you are on. Call the police! That's outrageous!
It's not just you. That is appalling!!!! My oldest is 20 and my youngest 8. I also have two more children 16 and 10. We have always wore our seatbelts no matter what! All of us! It actually saved my 20 year old because when he was 1 he was an excape artist who always got out of his carseat. They weren't made as good back then I guess or I had more to learn. Anyways, I had to pull over to put him back in his carseat. We drove after that for about a block and then an elderly man turn into the side of my car from the middle lane to try and get onto the expressway. My son and I were fine but if it wasn't for the seatbelts who knows. I would have called the police and given them the license plate number. Our children are supposed to be our lives. What kind of person would do that? If we can call and report a DUI driver we should be able to call on negligent parents.
T.,
I know it is very upsetting, I see it all the time here too. You can call the police, but there is little they can do unless they see it happening. Some states have laws where they can send warnings to the people if you are able to get their tag number.
No, of course not. Leave those poor people alone. Seat belts are only a recent event, you know. All of the baby boomers of the world have NEVER used seat belts when they were growing up, and they are all alive and well, and kickin' up a storm.
Save your righteous indignation for those wonderful folks that abduct our children every day, or the ones that starve or beat children...much more worthy.
Cheers,
C., RN
It makes you want to pull them over and give them the ticket and take their kids away. That is kid endangerment. I live in TN and I saw a woman feeding her baby a bottle that was small enough to fit across her lap while driving and talking on the phone, plus driving at 80 miles an hour. At that time it was a 65 mile an hour zone. I called 911 and the police asked where she was which happened to be on hwy 81 in view of the TN hwy patrol office and told them the mile marker, license number of her vehicle, make, and model. They said they would locate her right away and stop her. After following her for at least 15 more miles there were no police around. I even called them back. It was as if they didn't care but I did do everything I could do by calling. I felt sorry and fear for the child but could do nothing. What is weird is in TN they can stop someone for no seatbelt and do but didn't follow up on my call. Anyway after babbling we can only do so much and hope for the best. The rest is left for them to do their job and press charges of some sort.
TN countrygirl
yup, i've done it before. and for kids left in cars.
Hey T., Answer to your question is yes you could have called the police. what you would have needed was their tag number and which direction they were going, description of vehicle and anything else that would help them. My advice to people is to have police phone #'s programed in your cell phones. I have reported drunk drivers to police and they are very happy when people do this. the parents of these children should know better and would be the first ones to cry and blame someone else if they were in an accident. There are alot of people who do this everyday and don't care or think about the outcome. I hope this helped to answer your question. C.
There is a 1-800 number from the state police that you can call when you see this. I don't have the number in the house (I keep it in the car :) You can call the State police post here to get the number. I have called before and you really need the license plate number and the location where you saw the vehichle. I have even called 911 when I saw a kid hanging out of the back window. I followed that car until a cop pulled her over! I was on the phone telling them where she was and the kid was dangling out the window! I was afraid to not follow! Honestly if the cops had been busy with something else they likely would not have taken the time they had someone available and maybe I was a little crazy on the phone :)
Would it have been a bad thing to just roll the window down and suggest to the people that they could get in trouble or the children could be hurt if they did not buckle the children in. Sometimes a kind word can change things. We should be very careful about wanting the police to get involved when we can possibly offer some encouragement.
Yep! I would have called 911 and given them their license plate number. That is RIDICULOUS! I get very upset about stuff like that, too.
Yes you could have and should have called the police, gave them the plate number and told them of the kids.
I am sure that you were shocked and horrified, I was horrified just to read about it!
Behavior like this is very frightening, and in most states, illegal. I don't know about Lexington, but in Nashville, one could call ###-###-#### - the police number for non-emergencies.
You can always try. We are formerly from Texas and I saw that a great deal among Mexicans, no offense meant at all. I heard it is because they don't wear seatbelts much in Mexico. But it makes me so angry to see parents more concerned about their own safety than that of their children.
When my 20yo son was 8, he fell from a 2nd story window. He was in the Harborview Trauma Center on life support for 6 days. He had tubes coming out of every part of his body, including a probe they screwed in his head to measure brain swelling. It was a horrible experience for us all, the Lord was all that got us through. He spent another 8 days in the hospital and had therapy for a year.
If people could see how brain damage affects a family they would buckle that child in every time. We were spared in that our son suffered no long term brain damage. However, there was a young Mexican family in there with a baby. The baby was sitting IN THE LAP of the mother, she was in the back seat, they got in a wreck, Mom slammed up against the back of the front seat, broke her arm, and crushed this baby between her & the seat!! I see parents let their children run wild in cars because they can't get Susie to stay in her seat...whoop her little butt & MAKE her, HER life could depend on it. I see parents leaving their child standing in highchairs at the restaurant, squirming out of shopping carts & I DO go over & help that child and tell them briefly of our experience with a head injury!
It's the same with Dad's that like to toss Junior up in the air & catch him. One slip & that boys life is changed forever, so is yours. People just don't understand how quickly it can happen. So I would check it out, call someone and ask if you were to report something like that, would they follow up on it. It could save the life of a child!
I can't stand it when I see things like this either! You could absolutely call the police! Wether or not they respond is one thing but I would definitely call the police if you ever see something like this. It is just like if you noticed a car driving erratically and you think the person could be drunk, they say to call the police immediately because that person is endangering the lives of others. And in this case those parents are endangering the lives of their own children! That is just rediculous and there is no excuse for it!
I have seen it with parents of my child's friends. I am not sure what to say to them without offending them, but I always tell my daughter to buckle up anyway. It seems pretty basic to me that you buckle your kids and yourself up. How many of us really don't know what seatbelts are for? And how many of us have never seen a bad wreck? If you are going to have children, you should be responsible enough to look out for them because they don't know how to look out for themselves. And, don't get me started about parents smoking around their kids. In the car with the windows rolled up; in the home polluting the air they breathe everyday. I just cannot imagine what these people are thinking about. Definitely not their children! We should start calling the police and reporting them. I do not know what good it will do, but if enough people call, they will have to do something!
it also depends on the situation i can honestly say i have riden my oldest niece in my car twice without being in her carseat do to a emerency once she fell and busted her head she had a skull fracture her dad let her fall out of a shopping cart i allowed her mom to hold her in her lap to keep her alert we were directly across from the street from the er faster than a ambulance and i rode them both without one in another emerencey do to domestic violence that has long been resolved i was terrifed both times about something happening and would never do it regularly but in a emerencey yes but if i saw someone joyriding with there child not restrained then i would report it no bashing im being honest.
Yes, you can write down the license info and call the police right away. I once witnessed a one year old rolling happily in the window well of a moving vehicle. I called Children Services who said to call the police, and the police said they'd come intersept them when they came out the store they'd entered. Children don't always like to be strapped in, but they get used to it if it's the only way in which they can get a ride. And many local agencies and thrift stores can help people get car seats and booster seats! Thanks for looking after kids out there.
Yes you can call the police and give them the car tags and they will check into it. I know this because I am a preschool teacher and one time I had a dad that would pick up and not put the child in a car seat. I kept telling the dad I am watching and you better put the child in a seat or I am going to report you, so after a few days of him not doing it I called the police to see what I needed to do. They told me the next time he did it to call them with the car tag number and they would take care of it. So the next day that is what I did. And guess what they stopped him and gave him a ticket. The next day when the mom came in she told me about it, she said her husband said from now on when Miss P. tells me she will do something I am going to listen to her. So you can make a different.
There is a toll free number to call and report this, all u need is the tag number. I have done this myself.
Yeah---you can report them...you need their licence plate...and car info that sorta thing but you call it in and the police are suppose to look into it...if you can tell them were you are on the road and they have a unit int he area they will sometime s attempt to stop the car...
Hey...I know how you feel. I see people doing stupid things all of the time, but I'm not sure it's a good idea to "stick your nose in other people's business". I mean...what if it were you doing something 'stupid' just one time and someone calls the police about it, how would you feel? We all mess up sometimes and make mistakes - sometimes really big ones. But, we don't do it all of the time, you know. Just do what you think is right with your own children and let other people do what they think is right with their children. Just my opinion... Hope it helps calm you down.
I think as long as you have a license plate #, then you should be able to call 911 and report it.
In Tennessee it is against the law not to have your children in car seats. I don't know what the law is in Kentucky. You could call the police non emergency number and ask. Next time, I would suggest you call the police and report them.
I have been faced with same thoughts many times! I think there is a number to call in KY that you can report the plate number to, but not sure what it is. Now you've gotten my curiosity! I will have to check on it. If I find anything, I'll post it!
Yes, I agree that is ridiculous! I do think that you could report that next time you see it and more people should! I saw a man with a sportscar and a daughter in the front passenger seat, she was in a car seat (forward facing), but you shouldn't put them in the front seat at all! I know he didn't have a back seat, but it is so dangerous! My husband works at EMS and has seen many wrecks involving kids like this. One, he said, was an infant, in a proper car seat, but in the front passenger seat because the mother said it wouldn't stop crying unless it was beside her. Still, let the baby cry. It's better than the alternative! People just don't think sometimes, do they?!
Of course you can report them! You should report them! I can't believe you even asked that question!
Yes, you can and should have called the police. I was in Ft Laud many years ago and saw a woman driving in the rain with what looked like a 3 year old running back and forth in the back seat and an INFANT in a car seat sitting in the back where the hatchback part of this car. It was obvious the baby wasn't stapped in either. Plus, if she had slammed on the breaks or got into an accident, this baby would fly straight out the back windshield! I called the police and followed them until they caught up with us. I would suggest you do the same if you ever see that again.
T.
As an aspiring Police Officer, if I were in your situation I would have taken the license plate number, and state. Also a description of the automobile and the description of the person that was driving(Male, Female...etc.) so they know who to give the ticket too. In some states they can mail out a ticket and in some they can't; but they can do something about it(keep and eye out for them to slip up again and catch them in the act...I pray that it won't be too late)
S.
I think that is pretty crazy...i saw a terrible accident about a year ago where an suv flipped over right in front of me...we all ran to the vehicle--the mom and dad where thrown around and pretty cut up-the 3 boys in the back seat, ages 3, 4, 5 were unharmed because they were all strapped into their seatbelts. Other than being dazed and confused-they didn't have a scratch on them. After that, we don't take off until EVERYONE IS BUCKLED!!!!
I would have!! That is total negligence and disregard for the safety of those kids! You should of at least wrote down the license plate # and the make and model of the car, so you can look for this car again and see if they are still in violation of the car seat laws.
Yes you could of called the police and gave them a car description and the plate number. The rest would be up to them. You are right that is a horriable sight in this day and age.
I'm pretty sure you would have been right to report them. They were breaking the seatbelt law and endangering children.
Keep your cell phone handy at all times. Call the cops with the License #,a description of the car and your location. If you have a camera phone, take pictures for proof.
I pay a lot in taxes, so I can feel free to call the police officers. I'm a mom, so if I were going to let that go and go home and here about an accident where two little girls, 2 & 4 were thrown from the car. The parents were taken into custody. I know that this could all have been avoided with them getting a ticket and a fine, if I had only called the police. I would feel bad.
Girl, do what you have to do.
Since I work for the C'ville police department I can tell you that you could have called and reported the car to the police. If you were in a larger city nothing probably would have been done about it just because of trying to find the car, but if you were in a smaller town or city they might have been able to find the car and issue them citations. If you see something like that again be sure to get the make, model, and color of the vehicle and the tag number if you can. That really helps when you call the police. Just be sure that whatever department you call, you call the non-emergency line to dispatch unless it is a true emergency. We get concerned citizens calling all the time about vehicles that are reckless and endangering, so don't think that you can't call.
Pam
Absolutely you can call. You can get the liscense plate number and even call when you get home. That is so horrible.
I know exactly what you mean. I was grocery shopping the other day and was in line behind a mom and grandma and 4 kids. The oldest was around 5-6 and the youngest was around 2. No twins. So all of them needed at least a booster seat. When I got into the parking lot they were all getting into a car with only 5 seats. Mom and Grandma in the front and all 4 kids in the back. Not even enough seat belts to go around. I wanted to call the cops and report child endangerment, but I wasn't sure if they would actually respond. I would love to know any answers you get. I am sure many other caring moms have seen this and are wondering the same thing.
i think that you are right. its unresponsible for the parents to leave a child in harms way like that. I would of got the plate number and called it in. I do know that it is in fact illegal for a child not to be buckled in a seat(childs seat) and standing. Not a smart move for the parents. Ive seen people doing this alot lately and even having the jeeps with no backs on them ,(with a child under the age of 1 yrs buckled in) but having the cold wind just battering the baby. its really quite sad.
Call the police. We just did this about two weeks ago. My husband and I were out, and we saw a couple driving in a car with their baby sitting on the mom's lap in the front seat. My husband wrote down the license plate number, immediately called the police and told them what direction the car was headed. We don't know how the situation ended and we don't know whether this couple was caught or not, but it was worth calling the police in hopes that these parents will be reprimanded. Driving in a car for anyone is very dangerous! Why would you willingly put your children in harm's way?
Also, kudos to you for paying attention and wanting to get involved. You are right not to ignore the situation when a child's safety is at stake.
Liane
I actually have called the police on someone that did the exact same thing. Her child was in the back seat bouncing around while she was safely secured with her seat belt. I gave them her license tag info and from what I could tell I believe they did respond. It's not so much that you are telling on them for not haviing thier kids buckled, it's more that you are trying to protect the kids from injury.
Yes, you call the police.
I was equally as upset when I saw a small baby with both parents smoking in the front seat and the windows up. Crazy!
I DEFINATLY think you can call the police for something like that...what they are doing is illegal, not to mention horribly negligent and unsafe. Those parents should be repremanded for putting the lives of their children in danger!!
Heck ya you can report them. That is way dangerous. You would get the best response if you have the license plate.
.
yes i think you can or atleast i have called before i dont know if anything was done about it but atleast i know that i tried my best even if it didnt seem to work
this is very rediculous you could have called on them I know I would have. I have a soon to be three and a just turned 5 and my two yr old is in a five star harness seat yet my soon to be 5 really don't need one, says my towns law, because he weighs 70 lbs. He can be in just a booster or buckled in the back. So I buckle him in the back, yet if he unbuckles himself which is all the time I stop the car and get on to him and buckle him back. This is only in my town we go without a seat for him though when I leave town he has a booster.
I saw this same thing a few days ago except both parents were in the front holding there young baby. Come on people. I am tired of watching the news and seeing things that are preventable. No carseats are not 100% but times are different now. Cars are faster, people are less responsible and there are alot more people on the road. I can not believe people have the mind set to just disregard. I have heard social workers say this is nothing be concerned about, to be concerned about something that is a real problem. Well things like this are seeds that grow into bigger problems. This obviously shows a disregard for there children's safety.I wish common sense same with some college degrees. If more people would stand up for what was right of for at least what they thought was right this country would be in a lot better situation. I would call the police and at least report it. The fact is people feel threatened and like they are being attacked even if you are trying to give advice/encouragement. Let the police give the warnings! Maybe they will take it seriously coming from an officer.I think you are totally right to be concerned i just wish more people were.
Yes you take the license plate number down and call the police and if you do it then... tell them where you are or if you call later they run the plates. I have done this more than once.So if you wrote the plate number down call them today!
I don't think there would have been any problem with calling the cops and reporting it. It a violation, just like someone speeding or driving recklessly or anything else. And it is very unsafe for the girls. Just call maybe the non-emergency number for the police and give them the color, make, and model of the car and the license plate number. Maybe a warning will help them do the right thing if common sense doesn't.
There is an 800 number for the KY State Police that you can call. 800-222-5555. They can connect you to any police department across the state. You never have to give your name, but the location and description of the car. If you have the license plate that is even better. If the car is seen by an officer while they are still driving the adults would be subject to tickets/fines for the problem, but if they are not found they have the license plate number and can mail safety information directly to the owner of the vehicle. I've done this several times!
I know I'm a little late responding too but need to say my two cents worth too. I also grew up when there were no seat belts or car seats. To say "live and let live" and not to "judge" is a little rediculous. No one is judging anyone but I have seen people drive around with kids hanging all over the inside of the car....it's dangerous not only for them but also for the driver.
Where I am from, a few years ago, at just before Christmas, everyone was scurrying around doing their shopping, and racing like bats out of hell on icy snowy roads. One lady saw a break in the cars, though not enough to make it, especially on roads in that condition, floored it into the shopping center parking lot and hit the back of another car. When paramedics got there, they helped her out, and went around to the drivers side to help her little one out, that had been buckled up in the front seat of the car. The little one died on impact.
After a full investigation, mother was too busy with shopping and in a hurry or "whatever" placed the child in the car seat, placed the car seat in the front, not buckled in, and the child was decapitated on impact.
I know most people say, it won't happen to me, and maybe not, but you never know what will happen or when by the choices we make as parents or as people who look on.
If I were doing something wrong or a crime was being committed against me, I would sure hope someone would help me, and if need be, EDUCATE me in the process....there are laws for a reason, no matter how "rediculous" some may be for us to understand. Certainly buckling up is not only a safety procaution but a law. Next time, like Silvia said, take down information and call the police.
This irritates me so much and living in a rural area I see this alot. I have called the police before and they have responded fairly well. Of course I understand that sometimes they do not have the man power to dispatch. Sometimes I just want to say something to the parents or at least give them an "oh my gosh" look.
I too witness too much of this!! I work in a gas station and see way too much of this kind of stuff. I asked a local cop about it one day to see if there was anything I could do when I saw it. He told me that they could stop them and write them a ticket, but when they went to court for it all they had to do was show a receipt for a car seat and they wouldn't have to pay the fine!!!
Dear T.,
You have not lived long enough or seen enough in life if seeing "kids out of seat belts" is such a horrendus act...its fine to be concerned...but just a few (10 yrs.) back...seat belts were not required....I grew up all my life not wearing seat belts...I am a Social Worker and I see abused..neglectd..homeless children on a regular basis...now these are horrendous acts...you should broadend your horizons and visit a homeless shelter...or volunteer at a children's hospital..to see some real life horror stories...
Definately! Call the police
You could for sure report this to police while it's happening. I don't think it would help to report it at a later date. When I see that kind of behavior I go ahead and call it in to the local police. Then they can be on the lookout for and stop this vehicle.
There may be a way to report this. Tennessee for example has a car seat hotline that requires a liscense plate number and requests the date/time and location of the offense and the owner oc the car gets a friendly reminder of the seatbelt laws from the state. Other states may have something similar.
Heck yes, you should have called 911 and reported their license plate number. Some people are SO dumb, and there's never a cop around when you need one.
You can and should have called the police. In this day and age, it is not only irresponsible, but wreckless to not buckle a child into an appropriate car seat. It is our responsibility as parents, as humans, to ensure the safety of those who cannot protect themselves. If you ever see anyone who is on a main road with children that aren't safely secured, write down their liscense plate number, make and model, and call it in. You're not being nosy, you might just be saving a life!
H. Price
I totally agree with you. It is rediculous to not buckle your kids in. I have called 911 with the situation and license number of the vehicle when I see children that are not in car seats or seatbelts.
