Do you make your kids buckle up before you even start your vehicle up?

Ok i just asked a question in regards to the death of my 11 year old cousin. There was one person that said "She was old enough, she should have put it on" (Yea she should have put her seatbelt on but any mother should enforce their kids to wear seatbelts even if they do not want to wear them)





As a mother i make sure a seatbelt in around my son. He sometimes don't want to wear one but he has too and i will not drive without him being buckled up.


What do you all think about that person implying like it was my cousins fault?

Do you make your kids buckle up before you even start your vehicle up?
i ALWAYS make sure my children are buckled in and i won't allow my husband to even start the car until they are. I don't care if we have to sit there for 3hrs we won't leave our driveway until ALL seatbelts are on including mine and my husbands. We have to be good role models for our children, if they are to learn good lessons in life. Seatbelts do save lives and could have saved the life of your cousin(sorry to bring that up) had the step-mom been more responsible.


My youngest son who is still in a car seat he reminded us the other day "don't leave yet daddy, i not buckled in" and we turned the car off and buckled him in.


We are concerned so much about the crazy drivers where we live that we even installed special mirrors in our van so we could keep an eye on the kids.


I think anyone who fails to ensure their children are safely buckled in should be arrested and charged, i know it sounds harsh but is a fine really enough to make people use seatbelts? Not in my opinion and harsher punishments for offenses like this would be greatly beneficial to everyone and it ensures the safety of every passenger in the vehicle.
Reply:My sincere sympathy on the loss of your cousin,Amber. It was so preventable.We can never assume that children will buckle up.As adults it is up to us to ensure they are safe. Report It

Reply:I remember your question adn Im sorry about your cousin. She SHOULD have put it on herself, but if it is not enforced most will not. To answer THIS question, absolutely! My car does not even start until everyone is buckled. If it;s 20 degrees outside, I guess they need to buckle a bit quicker if they want to get warm!!
Reply:Yes - I hope all parents insist on that.
Reply:2 of my 3 children are still in carseats so I have to get them in 1st before I start the car. Our 9 year old does her own seatbelt, and I do not pull out of the driveway until I have verified that all 3 are properly secured! Not wearing a seatbelt is not a choice in our vehicles. You either wear it or we don't go! That goes for adults as well as children. I do not want to be responsible for someone being injured or killed because they weren't wearing a seatbelt.
Reply:It's the law and if your cousin's mother failed to make sure your cousin was buckled up or not - should be at fault. The mother needs to turn herself in for aiding to the death of her child.
Reply:Yes, I make sure my kids are buckled up. Maybe not necessarily before starting up the vehicle, but before moving the vehicle.





The law here states that the driver is responsible for making sure that anybody under the age of 16 is wearing a seatbelt. (Everybody is required by law to wear a seatbelt here.) This makes sense to me, even if it isn't law where you live. I don't see how an 11yo should be held responsible for something like that. 11yo's are kids without a full understanding of what could happen.
Reply:It is sad what has happened to your cousin, but it is illegal not to wear seat belt and all children up to 11 years old or under 4 foot tall must use a child seat and seat belt.





I think the person who told your cousin that, whilst right, could have been more tactful.





Remember CLUNK CLICK EVERY TRIP!
Reply:My son's are like the answerer before me (erinjl12) They


always put there seatbelt on with no reminder and even


check to make sure I have mine on as well with the exception


of my three year old who needs help getting buckled.


My oldest son is nine and when he was six months old a carseat saved his life when we had a car accident in


an icy storm. My nine and six year old know how important


it is to be in a carseat, or to wear your seatbelt.





I do not think it is your cousin's fault - the mother should


have made sure she was wearing her seatbelt especially if


she knew she did not like wearing the seatbelt.
Reply:It is the law.
Reply:Under the age of 16 (When it is legal for them to drive) a driver can be ticketed for not making sure that a child is buckled up, so yes, it is the parent's repsonsibility. My son is still in his car seat, so I always make sure he is buckled in first, but when my niece is with me (She's 10 1/2) I make sure she has her seatbelt on before I start the car.
Reply:i dont have kids yet but i make any children thats in the car with me buckle up before i start the car
Reply:no but before I drive away
Reply:I don't have kids but it's the first thing I do when I get into my car.
Reply:Yes I make sure my kids are always buckled up, and more than that EVERYONE who rides in my car has to wear a seat belt before my car will move, I don't care who it is or how short the drive is. Not only is it the law, a person or for that matter a pet not wearing a seat belt or in a car seat can actually turn into a projectile in an accident and can cause serious injury or death to others in the car.
Reply:It is the law but nobody should blame the mother the daughter should have put it on she knew that didn't she? Sorry about the loss of your cousin. My heart goes out to you and your family.
Reply:My mom and dad always do that. They say, "Is everyone buckled up?" And they wait.





It was not your cousin's fault. That was really insensitive. Even if it was party her fault, but was she driving the car?





I think that is very rude of the person.
Reply:When my kids were little I wouldn't turn on the radio till they were buckled up.


We usually had their favorite cd in there "The Little Mermaid" or "Lion King".


If they wouldn't buckle up I would make a slight hit on the brake while still in the driveway and then they would find out why they had to buckle up.


When I would take all the Brownie girls somewhere they had to all buckle up before I would turn on the cd and then all 6 of them would be singing.
Reply:it's never the child's fault that's why they have parents so they can keep them safe so i do not believe it is your cousins fault
Reply:Absolutely everyone should buckle up old and young alike no matter what the age, the car does not start until all seat belts are fastened. Unfortunately the person who implied it was your cousins fault was rude. It was a choice that she and her daughter made and I am sorry that that choice cost a life. My prayers are with her, an I am sorry she will have to live with that for the rest of her life. I pray God will grant her peace and she will forgive herself if she holds herself responsible.
Reply:I dont have kids but when I look after my nephews and niece I always make sure they have their belts on. My car has a little belt checker and the lights go off when the belts are buckled in, if a light is still on theres no way I will move that car until the light goes off. And when im driving and the light comes up i pull over and start kickin some a'ss and make them buckle back up :)
Reply:yes
Reply:The rule in my house is that the car doesn't move until everyone if buckled up. That includes friends, aunts, uncles and anyone else that needs a ride in my car.
Reply:It's a good rule. You could get hit backing out of the driveway.





Also, it just sets the standard.





The problem is if you're going somewhere they don't want to go. They could refuse to put it on and then what?





So, you may want to always have a positive consequence when you're out - whether that's a sticker for a little one or just saying thank you to an older child.
Reply:My kids buckle before I put my car into gear. They even remind me to put my seat belt on. Trust me they look.


I always check their seat belts. Its the law. They need me to be their grown-up and keep them safe.
Reply:i think every kid should be buckled untill they turn 18. i dont think they should have a choice in the matter it is the law. when its the law you dont have a choice you buckle up no matter what.
Reply:I'm sorry about your cousin, and in such a tragic situation, I won't place blame - especially since it would add insult to injury, so to speak.


That said, yes, I ALWAYS make sure my son is wearing a seatbelt! He's only 3, so I make it fun by doing the rocket thing from Little Einsteins. He buckles his seatbelt (in his booster seat), and after I check it and buckle mine, we say the line from the show, "Seat belts buckled!" Then we do the "pat, pat pat" and "Raise your arms as high as you can and say, 'Blastoff!'" before I even start the car. He loves pretending the car won't start until he puts on his seatbelt. But he's 3, not 11; he still needs to be reminded to wear his belt.


So, in answer to your question, blame shouldn't be placed anywhere. Yes, the adult driving should have made every child put on a seatbelt, but no, an 11 - year - old should NOT have to be reminded or told to put on a seatbelt. Again, this sounds like a really sad situation and I don't think the aim should be to place blame on anyone.


I'll keep your cousin and your family in my thoughts and prayers.
Reply:I'm a mother to be, but I will make her put her seatbelt on before moving the car when she's old enough to do it herself.
Reply:Well, 1st off it's illegal for kids not to wear their seat belts. Secondly, When my kids were younger we made sure they knew how important seatbelts are, and yes, they DID have to buckle up before we went anywhere (occasionally i would start the car quickly before they were buckled because it would be so cold). In fact when they were little they used to remind grandma to put her seatbelt on!





I think it is the parents responsibility to make sure the kid is buckled up regardless of if he's 11 or 2...heaven forbid something should happen (like an accident), but at the very least you would probably get a ticket





Oh, and I am sorry to hear about your cousin's death. May he rest in peace
Reply:I always ensure they're buckled up and even in the middle of driving, I'll double check b/c they're at the age they slide the shoulder belt down or unlock it. You can never be too safe.
Reply:Ya I wouldn't put the car in gear until everyone is buckled up. I make everyone..no matter kid/adult put on their seatbelt if they ride with me. I'm not taking any chances and if something happens to them I do not want the blame. Some say when the child turns 18 then it's fine but that's their choice. But yes kids under 18 def. need to put their seatbelt on.



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