Need advice on a situation

[cocosianelle]

Ok so this is something I've seen happen 3 times over the last few days and at first I couldn't believe my eyes and thought I was seeing things but I am not.

We have a family that live on our street with 5 kids so obviously trips out, I imagine are a nightmare but their is no excuse for this!

They have a 2 door Corsa car (small, for anyone not in the UK) and on three occasions I've seen 6 people getting out of the car. I'm sure this illegal to start off with but the worst part is two of them are kids. They have a 1 year old baby that sits in a car seat and then out of the back comes a teenage girl and two smaller children (say 3 & 4). So I assume the younger children are not in any kind of seat and must be sharing a seat belt or one is maybe sat on the teenagers lap?

This is not something I feel comfortable approaching them with because its not liked they've accidentally strapped a child in wrong. This is something they have chosen to do.

What would you do?

 

[jd83]

if I saw that on multiple occasions, and knew it wasn't me making something of nothing, I'd report it. That is so dangerous for those young children. There is not way they could be safely restrained in the car, whether one on a lap or 2 sharing a seatbelt; either way is very unsafe if an accident were to happen.

 

[seoj]

Like mentioned - all you really can do is report what you've seen. I don't know their situation- maybe they can only afford the one car? So they are just do the best they can... but it's still very dangerous if the younger kids are not in carseats. It really puts anyone in the car at greater risk. Hopefully they don't get into any accidents.

 

[cocosianelle]

Nope they have about 4 cars but seems the family get shafted into the one. They have a 7 seater people carrier type so I just don't know why this isn't used. I never see car seats being moved between the card either.

 

[sherylb]

Is their 7 seater broke down and they are making due until they can afford to fix it?

 

[Ceejay123]

Making do or not, It's unsafe :/ Poor kids. I hope they don't get into an accident. Maybe there;s more going on behind the scenes, but I'd be more concerned for their physical wellbeing at the moment. x

 

[Agoo]

I would be torn but I might not report it. Laws aside, this sort of thing (or worse) is so common in many parts of the world, and usually because of poverty. I wouldn't want them not to be able to be mobile just because they can't afford the best standards of safety, especially if its crucial everyday sorts of things like getting to school, etc. But I've seen entire families, babes and all, on motorcycles, and often those parents just don't have any other choice, so I might have a higher tolerance for it, sadly. Now if it's not a matter of surviving... if I knew they're putting their kids' safety on the line because they don't know any better, or just can't be bothered, I would definitely report it.

 

[cocosianelle]

Trust me they are in no way poor. The two other cars they own are Mercedes with personalised number plates. This is for convenience.

The 7 seater is not broken down as this has been used over the last week in addition to this happening.

Who could I report it to? I'm guessing police or maybe even social services?

Just to add the other day I was on my way out and I saw the dad driving up the street on his mobile phone with his son in the car. Once they had stopped and whilst the dad was still on the phone he managed to get out of the car himself and I'm sure he wasn't strapped into anything, this is the 3 year old.

 

[cat lover]

If its obviously not financial, i guess you have 3 choices. Talk to them, ignore it or report it to ss. it is difficult, but if its really pricking at your conscience i think u should report it x

 

[jd83]

Trust me they are in no way poor. The two other cars they own are Mercedes with personalised number plates. This is for convenience.

The 7 seater is not broken down as this has been used over the last week in addition to this happening.

Who could I report it to? I'm guessing police or maybe even social services?

Just to add the other day I was on my way out and I saw the dad driving up the street on his mobile phone with his son in the car. Once they had stopped and whilst the dad was still on the phone he managed to get out of the car himself and I'm sure he wasn't strapped into anything, this is the 3 year old.

Well, technically a 3 yr old could get out himself if they are using a high back booster with seatbelt. My nearly 4 old just started using one, and can get himself out of the car without any help. He can't fasten the belt himself getting in, or get it tightened (and I wouldn't want him to, I want to make sure its done properly), but he can undo it to get out. Not saying that's what's going on with them, but just saying if they have that type of booster seat, its possible the child can get himself out.

I'd still be very concerned about the other issue, though, of too many people in the backseat of a compact car, without enough car seats physically in the car for that many children. That I would still be reporting to children services, as you have seen it happen repeatedly. Reporting it doesn't mean the children are going to be removed from their homes, but it does mean that the concern will be investigated.

 

[CaptainMummy]

My 3yo can unclip her harness on her car seat and gets out very easily, so it's definitely possible. If it were me, honestly I would probably ignore it, but I do realise how unsafe it is. Even if you reported it, it probably wouldn't stop it from happening tbh.
It's a tough one :/

 

[cocosianelle]

Thanks ladies, I just wanted to say I posted in this section as my baby is only 1 so I'm not sure yet what the crack is with seats when they are older so knew you ladies would know more.

 

[Button#]

I would report it. It's so dangerous and if they were involved in an accident those children could be killed.

 

[LuckyYem]

Personally I would wait until they next tome they were all loaded in and report it to the police.

A few years ago there was a big accident where I live, a woman was driving down the duel carriage way with herself and 5 children in the car (granted they were older children) none of them apart from the adult were wearing seatbelts or in booster seats. The diver (from memory) was on her mobile, clipped the central reservation, crossed into the fast lane of the other carriage way and was hit by an oncoming car. 3 or 4 (sorry I can't remember) of the children died as did the driver of the car that hit them.

19 Years ago, my 14 year old brother died in a car accident he was not wearing a seatbelt.

It can and does happen. The laws regarding this are there for a reason, I know first hand how it can rip peoples lives apart.

 

[RaspberryK]

I think what lucky yem says is very valid and I would 100% report them to the police.
Xx

 

[MrsHedgehog]

I see this happen all the time here. I'd be on the phone to the police every day if I reported everyone I saw piling kids in a car without a carseat. It makes me sick to think about what might happen. I was in a car accident when I was 17 where a friend of mine was killed and another seriously injured. I suffered only cuts and bruises but I'm scarred for life. I don't know what people are thinking here. I don't know what I'd do in your situation. I think the right thing to do is to report them really, they are breaking the law after all and endangering their kids life.

 

[ktod]

Personally I wouldn't get involved. That's the decision they have chosen to make, I'd just let them get on with it. (Although I wouldn't want to be in their shoes of the police did stop them.)

They have made a bad choice in terms of road safety and the law but I don't view their actions as so bad they need to be reported. Its not actual abuse of a child or anything that requires intervention.

I feel a bit like a previous poster, I have seen things like this as commonplace in other countries, so it doesn't really shock me. In fact this was pretty normal even in this country when I was growing up. Maybe they don't know the rules about car seats these days. I know quite a lot of my family were quite shocked when I was telling them how long kids have to stay in car seats.

Don't get me wrong, I don't condone it. I just wouldn't get involved myself.

 

[Scottish mum]

If in the uk call crime stoppers you can be anon so they won't be aware you've called x

 

[bumpbear]

I wonder if the police would do anything even if you did report it?

Post them anonymous flyers about child car safety? Might make them paranoid enough to realize their neighbors are watching them. Some parents are just so lazy. Take the big car, fools.

 

[bumpbear]

Having said that, it is rather bizarre that in the UK and US it is perfectly legal to take your kids in a taxi without a car seat. Are people immune to car crash injuries when in a hire vehicle or something?!