You all know how I feel about people buckling up in my car. What you may not be aware of is that I’ve been known to frequently buckle non-human items that are riding in my car.
I’ll give you a couple examples.
A few days ago, I was meeting some friends at the park, planning to do some walking while we were there. I always keep an umbrella stroller in the trunk of my car, but I wanted my bigger, heavier-duty one along for this particular walk. Rather than break my back trying to hoist it up and then wrestle it into the trunk, I decided it would keep me company up front in the car. I loaded it into the passenger seat, then buckled it in for safety.
My sister flew out to visit me this fall. When I picked her up from the airport, I realized that one of her suitcases would not fit in the trunk. I buckled it in to the front seat, and she rode in the back with my daughter.
When I really think about it, the fact that I buckle these items in still probably isn’t very safe. All of those items belong in the trunk. I still do it, though, and am much more comfortable having them restrained than letting them be loose.
You might think I’m crazy. Before I had kids, I would have thought I was crazy too. Now that I’m more aware of safety hazards, it makes perfect sense to me.
Parents go to so much trouble when it comes to researching, purchasing, and installing infant car seats. Many would argue that a safe car seat is the most important baby item parents can invest in, and I agree. Regardless of the high ratings your car seat received, how well it was installed, or how securely you buckled your child in, there is nothing protecting your child from loose, flying objects in the car.
To be honest, I go into a little bit of a panic when I think about all of the items that are loose in many cars. People often keep items such as suitcases, shoes, water bottles, and Kleenex boxes in unsecured areas in their cars. It seems innocent enough, but even the lightest items can become life-threatening missiles in the event of a crash.
It’s been hard getting other people to agree with me on this one. For one thing, many items often don’t fit in a trunk. It seems practical to make use of the space in the passenger area of the car. In addition, people want easy access to other items, such as CD cases, drinks, or GPS systems. Quite often, I’ve been the “bad guy,” the “paranoid mom,” or the “psycho worrier.” People roll their eyes, and I’m sure they talk about me after I’ve left.
I don’t mind being known by any of those names or being the cause of eye-rollings. I much prefer being called “psycho mom,” to “the girl who was killed in a car accident when struck by a loose golf club,” or “the mother of the baby who was properly restrained in her car seat but died because a suitcase struck her.”
So, all of you eyes, roll away! If you’re in my car, you’re getting buckled in.