Points for not belting up kids.

implausible

from rte

Drivers face increase in number of penalty point offences
Updated: 11:37, Thursday, 2 August 2012

Changes to penalty point system will see points introduced or increased
All but one of the new offences concern the use of seatbelts, with four of them related to ensuring that children are properly restrained in cars.
Drivers will now face penalty points if children are not in the appropriate child restraints, such as child or booster seats.
Points now also apply in cases where a child in a rearward facing child seat is placed in the front of the car close to an active airbag.
Motorists already faced penalty points for having a child under 17 in a car without a seatbelt.
Truck and bus drivers will also face penalty points if caught driving without wearing a seatbelt.
The clampdown comes as the latest Road Safety Authority figures show that 23% of drivers and 29% of passengers killed in the first six months of this year were not wearing seatbelts.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar said it is amazing in this day and age that people are still not wearing their seatbelts.
Offences incurring penalty points:
Driver of car or goods vehicle not wearing safety belt
Driver permitting person under 17 years of age to occupy a seat when not wearing safety belt
Driver of car or goods vehicle permitting child under 3 years of age to travel in it without being restrained by appropriate child restraint
Driver of car or goods vehicle permitting child over 3 years of age to travel in it without being restrained by appropriate child restraint
Driver of car or goods vehicle permitting child to be restrained by rearward facing child restraint fitted to a seat protected by active frontal air-bag
Driver of bus not wearing safety belt
Using vehicle - (a) whose weight un-laden exceeds maximum permitted weight, (b) whose weight laden exceeds maximum permitted weight, or (c)any part of which transmits to ground greater weight than maximum permitted weight

Not belting up your kids is criminal and it's about time penalty points were actually given out for behaviours that are dangerous on the roads.

Lisha

So does this mean that a child older than 3 needs only a belt not a high backed booster? this can't be right surely?
That being said im so sick of my nearly 5year old saying but soandso does not need high backed booster etc. Makes me mad when I see kids unbelted in cars:mad:

January

No Lisha rules are still the same -

Children aged 3 years or over who are under 150cms in height and
weighing less than 36 kilograms (i.e. generally children up to 11/12
years old) must use the correct child seat, booster seat or booster
cushion when travelling in cars or goods vehicles

Just you can get points for it now when you couldn't previously.

Glowing

I thought the habit of leaving kids to jump around the back seat had gone with the 80s - it was only last week at the Goat crossroads I saw a family driving with 2 kids standing up with their heads and torso out the sun roof - shocking stuff! Doesn't bear thinking about what would happen to those kids in a head on collision .... bring on the points .. I would be all on for harsher punishment tbh.

spurious

Glowing wrote: »

I thought the habit of leaving kids to jump around the back seat had gone with the 80s - it was only last week at the Gqoat crossroads I saw a family driving with 2 kids standing up with their heads and torso out the sun roof - shocking stuff! Doesn't bear thinking about what would happen to those kids in a head on collision .... bring on the points .. I would be all on for harsher punishment tbh.

The 'launch position'.
I can't fathom anyone who has something as precious as a child in a car not strapping them in correctly.
Some people would take more care of a hoover they were carrying.

deisemum

You can still see a lot of children not restrained or restrained in the appropriate car seat/booster seat on school runs. A lot of the times it's a grandparent doing the school run (collection times) that doesn't bother making sure the child is in a booster seat or even wearing a seatbelt.

Lisha

TBH I think it worse lately, I know loads of people who have 5 hr olds either totally seat belt free or just use belt on its own without booster
I just cant understand it myself.
Maybe Im overcautious but a child just using a belt is prob in as much danger of injury as using no belt at all. They need the boosters for a good reason

Maybe I just notice now cos I ve kids

uck51js9zml2yt

maybe they should be charged with child endangerment.. would soon sort it out.:D

we still have our 2 year old rear facing. its the safest way to have him.

wmpdd3

Agree, 2 points is nothing, i see kids everyday getting into cars and the parents just driving off, outside where i work. Should be immedate endangerment as soon as you start the engine. But as usual the issue is enforcement. Only drivers involved in accidents will end up with the points. It may be a generational thing to a degree, i havent brought either of my kids on the train or bus as i just cant imagine them not being belted in.

About bloody time too. I would be all for harsher punishments. People who do not take appropriate steps to keep their children safe on the roads cannot care much for their kids.

ger vallely

I have seen,far too many times,parents belted up in their car and the kids unbelted in the back. What's that about?bring on the points (at the very least)I say.

Moonbeam

I have to say I agree with it too but it is such a pity that it is needed.
I have seen kids not strapped in,very small children in booster seats and tiny babies on peoples laps ,all a disgrace.

hoodwinked

the only problem i see with the above legislation is the lack of clarity on what is an 'appropriate restraint' they should really issue guidelines into the law for what restraint is appropriate e.g 5 point harness, seat belt or high back booster, back-less booster...etc


its not really an issue for those of us who care enough to research the safest way to bring our children in the car,

but how would a Garda who stops someone who wouldn't care so much actually enforce the points,

say their 5 year old is just seat belted in, and they argue they are a tall 5 year old and thus it is safe.

the legislation above clearly states "without being restrained by appropriate child restraint"

they will just argue its appropriate for their child.

Moonbeam

hoodwinked wrote: »

the only problem i see with the above legislation is the lack of clarity on what is an 'appropriate restraint' they should really issue guidelines into the law for what restraint is appropriate e.g 5 point harness, seat belt or high back booster, back-less booster...etc


its not really an issue for those of us who care enough to research the safest way to bring our children in the car,

but how would a Garda who stops someone who wouldn't care so much actually enforce the points,

say their 5 year old is just seat belted in, and they argue they are a tall 5 year old and thus it is safe.

the legislation above clearly states "without being restrained by appropriate child restraint"

they will just argue its appropriate for their child.

There are other laws stating exactly what is appropriate.

magicbastarder

the interesting thing is that the evidence that a kid of about three or four is safer in a booster seat than they are sitting in just a normal seatbelt is slim:

http://www.freakonomics.com/2005/07/10/freakonomics-in-the-times-magazine-the-seat-belt-solution/

wmpdd3

I've seen that one from 2005 and the newer one on the same subject on TED, but in all honesty, my kid wont be the crash test dummy.

In a life and death situation maybe but for low speed impacts, its 5 point all the way.

Dilbert75

magicbastarder wrote: »

the interesting thing is that the evidence that a kid of about three or four is safer in a booster seat than they are sitting in just a normal seatbelt is slim:

http://www.freakonomics.com/2005/07/10/freakonomics-in-the-times-magazine-the-seat-belt-solution/

What happens in a collision to a person who's not big enough for their belt is that they submarine, or slide out underneath the belt. So instead of the belt gripping their trunk and hips, the belt only "bites" high up on the trunk. The potential for serious injury is much higher as a result.

mathepac

I think the changes in the laws and penalties regarding seat-belts are good, but will enforcement actually happen.

The real problem in this country isn't lack of laws, it's lack of enforcement.

I have seen a man in a commercial vehicle leave our estate on the way to the hurling field with four (4 !!) little guys aged from 3 to 5 on the single front seat of his van.

On one occasion (a local funeral) a traffic Guard waved him out of our estate onto the main road.

jaydoxx

Am i the only person who read the thread title and thought it was about beating your children with a belt? haha

iguana

Is it immediately clear to anyone who looks, that an airbag has been deactivated? And what about side airbags and car seats?

hoodwinked

iguana wrote: »

Is it immediately clear to anyone who looks, that an airbag has been deactivated? And what about side airbags and car seats?

in my car there is a slot at the side of the dash where a key goes and it indicates clearly if the airbag is on or off,

i think it de-activates all airbags for that seat.

Daffodil.d

I was at one of those road safety awareness road show type things. the guy there told me my seats were correct. both high back boosters. I mentioned that i had bought a seat only booster for my mams car in case she ever needed to bring one of them somewhere and he said because of the lack of side impact protection they're trying to get rid of that type too. Anyway this was well worth goin to an gettin the seats checked out.
Just on another note. What is the law on unrestrained animals i cars. A catapulted large dog in an accident could end up like a deadly missile. I am always seeing dogs hanging out of cars.