Anxiety Thing # 4 - Children and Seatbelts
My last anxiety producer had to do with kids being forced to smoke. This one has to do with kids not being forced to do something - wear seatbelts in a car. Many of the comments on the last post apply to this senseless behavior of parents as well. What are they trying to show – that they don’t believe the statistics about accidents and severity of injuries without seatbelts? Or are they trying to show the children that they love them so much that they will let them bounce around the vehicle as they wish – and even bounce out of the vehicle in the event of an accident. Do these parents not have the ability to envision the child as a projectile going out the front window at whatever the speed the vehicle was traveling and then hitting the next stationary object – building, rock, tree, river lake – you get the drift, right?
Some parents just don’t seem to realize that they are charged with a heavy responsibility – the protection of their children. True – total protection of a child at all times is pretty much impossible. But there are times when it is not only possible but easy to accomplish and, in many jurisdictions, mandated by law. To not protect your children at all times possible is just stupid – especially in a vehicle going 50, 70, 90, 100 km per hour or more. Remember that every person in the vehicle is traveling the same speed as the vehicle and if the vehicle has a sudden stop anything not constrained in the vehicle keeps going. To subject your children to this is just ignorant.
What does the parent teach a child by not insisting on seatbelts? That we are above the law and it is not to be obeyed? That the law of physics does not apply to us? That the statistics lie or do not apply to us? Let’s just have fun and ignore safety (safety is for sissies?)? We are being told what to do?
Then see these parents in the Emergency Room following an accident and listen to them grieve for their child who was severely injured or killed because no seat belt was worn. Listen to them seek sympathy and blame the child who “would not wear the seat belt”. Or listen to them blame themselves for not insisting the seat belt be worn. Kind of late for that!
Like smoking, I believe that parents who refuse to force their children to wear seat belts should be investigated for child abuse. If they disregard the safety of their children in this instance, where else might they be doing the same.
Safety of children is paramount. If you are not going to provide good care for a child, don’t have any. They are not toys. They need to learn safe ways of facing life and they depend on their parents for that teaching.
So, come on parents! Seatbelts are tested and proven to help in times of accident or quick stops. Stand up to your responsibility. Teach your children safety so that they will teach your grandchildren. Keep them safe so that you may enjoy them as they grow up and they remember you as a parent who cared.
