[V.Narayan]

The fact that this thread in 3 days has attracted less than 3000 views speaks for itself. And this lack of interest on India's leading auto forum. Everyone else is way behind in interest, attitude and knowledge. Getting friends and relatives to strap in at the back is a herculean task fraught with ego.

[roy_libran]

1. My pet fight with my Mom. I don’t move the car unless she buckles in. Of course she gets royally pissed at me.
2. My recipe for a sure shot deduction of 1 point for whatever rating I give for an Ola/Über ride, if their rear seatbelts cannot be bucked in.. And I tell the driver why I am doing it.

By the way, forget rear seats. What’s the forum’s opinion on unrestrained babies and kids in the front seat? Have seen many GotBHP and LTD equipped cars do this too, and all of them cannot be non-Bhpians.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

. What's the forum's opinion on unrestrained babies and kids in the front seat?

Bad parenting!

Jeroen

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by GTO

Would say it's more like 99.99% of Indian passengers who don't.

It gets very tricky when distant relatives with kids visit us in the US. How does one answer - "Why does the child need seatbelt in the third row? Isn't it too much?"

I have learned to just agree, that it is too much, but lets do it because they will ticket me, and that is expensive. If I forget to remind every time, rear passengers will certainly forget the seatbelts. Thankfully newer cars (like Model 3) have visible warning/reminders for each rear seat as well.

[MaheshY1]

Originally Posted by ravib

If you buckle up, i won't start the engine. Period!


-Ravi

Hahaha. Typo

Yesterday, I went to an amusement park with my young man and we sat in one bumper car. I wanted to give him an experience of steering the car but the staff asked me to move him to the left as the steering is too close to his face. They also routed the makeshift seatbelt through his underarms. One solid bump and I bruised my shin. I was glad he was tethered. I took it easy for the rest of the session and avoided bumping.

So, there are people who know that it's important to buckle up even in a "toy" car when clearly I thought I didn't need to restrain my son, or myself for that matter.

[hgps]

Just came back from a week long trip in my company's Scorpio. Never even once i used the seatbelt while sitting at rear seat.

Reason? They have removed Buckles from rear seat and front seat was occupied by my boss (who himself was unbuckled).

I wish we had some sort of sensor that wouldn't allow engine to fire up if any of the occupant isn't belted.

[manjubp]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Bad parenting!

Jeroen

Can't agree more.

I still remember sometime in 2006 on a trip to Kabini my son(a big boy ~ 3yrs at that time) refused to sit in his new booster seat starting from home in Bangalore, I had to stop the car for 14 times before even reach mysore, that is everytime he unbuckles himself. At one time, we sat in the car for nearly 18 minutes near RVCE without starting the car until he buckled up.

Then on wards, my son never missed his booster seat and now seat belt. Now he is very disciplined when it comes to wearing the seat belt, so is my family (exception is my tiger Mother, who refuses and only on long drives she isokay to wear the belt).

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by hgps

I wish we had some sort of sensor that wouldn't allow engine to fire up if any of the occupant isn't belted.

The seat belt reminder itself is loud enough. 10-20x louder than the mandatory intermittent speed alerts (Audible speed alerts to be mandatory by July 2019). You simply can't sit inside the car without wearing them, even if its only for the driver and front passenger.

Originally Posted by manjubp

my son(a big boy ~ 3yrs at that time)<snip>everytime he unbuckles himself.

This is where 5-point harnesses are useful Not so easy for my 4- year old to unlock by himself.

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

Thankfully newer cars (like Model 3) have visible warning/reminders for each rear seat as well.

One curious question: Does it detect a booster seat without the kid as a weight and complain?

[Thad E Ginathom]

People will say it is tough to get their child to use car seat. So what! Parenting is tough. Nobody made them have children.

[mxh]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

1. My pet fight with my Mom. I don’t move the car unless she buckles in. Of course she gets royally pissed at me.
2. My recipe for a sure shot deduction of 1 point for whatever rating I give for an Ola/Über ride, if their rear seatbelts cannot be bucked in.. And I tell the driver why I am doing it..

I don't travel by Taxis much and that too in the back seat. But when I do I ask them to remove the seatbelts. I even made my friend park to the side remove the rear seatbelt for me when we were pooling in his car.
BTW, when did the rule for read seatbelt officially get announced? Govt created some of the confusion by mandating only front seatbelts initially...

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

People will say it is tough to get their child to use car seat.

Its not the child, they'll be in denial the first couple of attempts, then accept the fact. Not a big deal if it is started from birth.

It is the family support, most importantly the other parent that's usually the problem

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by narayans80

One curious question: Does it detect a booster seat without the kid as a weight and complain?

The seat specific - seat belt warning comes on even when I place a heavy/laptop bag on the seat. On the touchscreen, you can touch the warning icon, and ignore the warning for that seat. I recall there being options for rear facing child seat and others. I need to double check if there is one for a booster seat. The screen also warns you to check that seat, when you are about to exit. (just so you don't forget that baby/luggage in the car).

My kids are too old for me to have access to a booster seat. Else I would have tested it.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Its not the child, they'll be in denial the first couple of attempts, then accept the fact. Not a big deal if it is started from birth.

It is the family support, most importantly the other parent that's usually the problem

Indeed. They say it is difficult before they even try. We have a whole thread about car seats, etc, for children, so this is probably not the place for this. But, I think you'd agree --- newborn should be taken home in a car baby carrier*. It starts from there, right?



*I've forgotten what they are called for infants. I had typed "seat" and realised how silly that looked!

[MaheshY1]

Originally Posted by narayans80

they'll be in denial the first couple of attempts, then accept the fact. Not a big deal if it is started from birth.

Totally opposite situation with me. I insisted on getting a seat when my son was still an infant. My family disagreed saying that the kid won't stop crying even in the mother's lap. The seat will be a nightmare for all occupants.

Then one fine day with my wife in the passenger seat (unbuckled) holding the kid (a toddler by this time). All of a sudden, as I came out of a blind corner on a then 2 lane stretch of NH 8, I noticed a semi gunning at me in the wrong direction.

Full pressure on the brakes...kid hits his head on the dash... Wife smashes her head into kid's. Thankfully that was just braking. A collision could have easily resulted in a sad outcome.

After this I had no resistance from the family. I got the seat. Logic was simple: he can recover from a sore throat.

The first time we got him in the seat, because of the added height, he enjoyed looking out of the window before dozing off. They thought it was a fluke. 2.5 years since the incidence, travel time is nap time for the kid. I've stood on the brakes many times, at most it wakes him up. Once a tractor with a water tanker jack knifed and hit my car right on the I DRIVE SAFE sticker. I instantly look back at the kid to check on him...he yawned and went back to sleep.

Of course he doesn't sit in the seat every time. For shorter rides, I use the front seat belt as a lap belt and drive even more defensively.

I have to say, that was money well spent. I can't recommend it enough. For the peace alone, it's worth the price.

[RedStallion]

Originally Posted by MaheshY1

Of course he doesn't sit in the seat every time. For shorter rides, I use the front seat belt as a lap belt and drive even more defensively.

This is absolutely doable. Thumbs up.

You can never predict any emergency on a highway. At least, we should carry child on a child seat while going on highways.

In a city driving, you can always manage your car speed within limits and keep everyone safe.

Cheers!