My child should have been buckled in
By tink91879
@tink91879 (742)
United States
June 22, 2011 8:30pm CST
We were visiting family and my sister in-law and I took the two youngest in my car, my other sister in-law and her mom took the two oldest. We went to a little water park down the street. We play for a couple hours than headed home. I was parking when my sister in-law says, their getting pulled over. We sat there not knowing what to do. Our hearts racing. She calls my mother in-law who informs me my daughter was not buckled up. She didnt listen when they told them to buckle up when the cop pulled them over. So my father in-law comes out and we tell him and hes yelling, I cant afford a 1000 ticket. I said Im not paying it. Should I have to pay for my ssiter in-law getting a ticket when there are two adults in the car and my daughter is 8? Shouldnt the kids be buckled in before they leave? I always make sure everyone is buckled in before the car moves. They get home and my daughter was buckled in, my sister in-law didnt have her belt on, but my question is if it had been daughter do you think I should have paid for the ticket or help pay for the ticket?
2 people like this
7 responses
@asyria51 (2861)
• United States
23 Jun 11
The adults in the car are the ones responsible for the minors to be buckled up. I do not move my car until everyone is buckled up...adult or child. Some of my friends resented this at first, but my car, my gas...my rules. A child does not have the rational capacity to understand the consequences, the monetary or the physical ones, of not buckling up. If she was refusing so ardently, then they should have stopped the car and called you.
It is their responsibility to pay the ticket due to their poor choices. As a side, I would reconsider having that child ride with anyone else for a while. This could be a natural consequence for her not following the rules in someone elses car. This might mean missing a playdate because you cannot drive her and pick her up.
2 people like this
@tink91879 (742)
• United States
23 Jun 11
My daughter knows to buckle up. I dont move my car until buckled in. My sister in-law did make sure the kids were buckled and forgot herself in the process. A lesson learned the hard way.
@junrapmian (2169)
• Philippines
23 Jun 11
Everyone in the car should buckle up as long as they are inside the car, you know the rules, buckle up for safety. The adults who accompany the kids in the car should be the ones responsible.
2 people like this
@tink91879 (742)
• United States
23 Jun 11
Thats how I feel. I feel responsible for others in my car and want to make sure we get form point A to point B safetly. Leaving anyone unbuckled does not help accomplish that goal. I think my sister in-law learned a valuable lesson. At least she knew make sure the kids are buckled.
@GardenGerty (157562)
• United States
23 Jun 11
I think we all pretty well are agreed that the adults in the car are responsible for making sure that the minors are seat belted. That is what the law says, it is the responsibility of the driver. How would she have lived with herself if she was in a wreck and the child was hurt?
2 people like this
@tink91879 (742)
• United States
23 Jun 11
Definatly. The thought that went through my mind, even though its down the street, what if something had happend? I am thankful they made sure the girls were buckled in and its to bad my sister in-law forgot to buckle herself in. I dont think I would have felt responsible for the ticket. Full knowing the driver is responsible for everyone in the car.
@dodo19 (47082)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
23 Jun 11
I don't really think that you should have to pay for it. Your daughter was with your sister-in-law, in her car. You had put your sister-in-law in charge of your daughter. I do feel that it was your sister-in-law's responsibility to make sure that your daughter had her seatbelt on. I can understand your sister-in-law's frustration, but I don't think that it's fair for you to pay, when it happened in her car, when she was responsible for your daughter. That's how I feel.
2 people like this
@tink91879 (742)
• United States
23 Jun 11
Thats how I feel. At least the girls were buckled in and unfortunatly my ssiter in-law wasnt. As an adult though she knew better. I still didnt feel responsible if it had been my daughter unbuckled, since she is 8 and there were two adults in the car. I dont think I would have paid it or helped them pay it. My daughter knows the car dosent move until you are buckled in. Im glad my sister and mother in-law made sure the girls were buckled in though. I was just wondering if others thought the same as me. Your car your responsibility for others in it.
@bmorehouse1 (1028)
• United States
23 Jun 11
You should not have to help pay for the ticket. If you had been driving you would have made sure your daughter was buckled in. Your sister is a responsible (I question that) adult. It was her responsibility to see that your daughter was buckled in, even if it was only for a few blocks down the street. Any child should absolutely be buckled in before the car goes anywhere. If I have someone else's child with me I double check to make sure they are buckled in because I do not want anything bad happening to a child that has been entrusted to my care. Whoever is driving the car is responsible for the ticket! Your sister should understand what she did wrong and pay the price!
1 person likes this
@tink91879 (742)
• United States
23 Jun 11
If this had been the situation yes, your right. I feel the same way. Sitting there waiting till they got home I went over everything in my mind, how to handle the situation, how to talk without gettig out of control, etc. I was relieved my daughter was buckled in and it had been my sister in-law not buckled in. An adult is responsible for a child. My daughter knows the rules, dosent mean she dosent try to get out of them with some one else. When a child is in your care you need to make sure they are safe.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
23 Jun 11
Actually, the adults in the car should have insisted to your daughter to buckle up, lest she will be caught not doing it. Your daughter would then obey specially when she will be told that she could be fined 1000 for it.
However, in this case perhaps you could just offer to pay a part of the fine, having the bulk shouldered by them, since it was their fault that they didn't insist on it. Then, you could just admonish your child that next time she should automatically buckle up.
2 people like this
@tink91879 (742)
• United States
23 Jun 11
I am very thankful the adults in the car insisted on the girls being buckled in. My daughter knows you must wear a seatbelt. I think if a person is in your car you should make sure they follow the rules, even if it means you dont move the car until they are buckled in. I dont think I would have paid or helped pay for the ticked if this scenerio had been true. I was going over it in my mind when we thought it was my daughter unbuckled. I kept thinking if it had been in my car and I had not buckled in my child or someone elses it would have been fault for not ensuring their safety. My sister in-law didnt buckle her belt and now has to deal with it, but thankfully she made sure my daughter was seatbelted in.
@mansha (6298)
• India
23 Jun 11
not making sure that your daughter was buckled in, I think you should be the one doing the yelling, what if something had happened. Its always the adult's responsibility who is driving the car to make sure everyone is wearing the seat belt, why should you pay for her lapse. If it was other way round and you were driving without her kid buckled up who would have paid the fine?
1 person likes this
@tink91879 (742)
• United States
23 Jun 11
Thats what I think. If the shoe had been on the other foot. My other sister in-law, even though her kid was in the car too, was calming down full knowing I was about to blow. When they got home and we learned everyone was buckled in, but my sister in-law I felt better knowing they had made sure my child was buckled in. My daughter knows to buckle in, but I check still. I dont think I would have helped or pay for the ticket. There would have been problem with someone putting my child in danger.
