Mum issues a stark warning to all parents after her family were involved in a terrible car crash – “5-point harness car seats saved my kids lives”
“I have been processing this for days!… A man ran a light as we were going 45 mph and crashed into us head on! There were many wonderful people that stopped. People had to pull our children out of our vehicle. I was trapped inside. I remember a lady asking me if I had 3 children…. as I was screaming “Get my babies!”
Liam could not undo his seatbelt and the truck was covered by airbags and filled with smoke. It was hard for them to see him. He did get out. He is now dealing with issues of “mommy I was left behind!” I was pulled out to hear Alayna screaming “is my mom dead?” I was listed as critical and so was the other gentleman. He was dead on arrival and they revived him.
I left in an ambulance as soon as Neil arrived to the scene. Then my mother in law showed up and she hopped in an ambulance with our girls and Neil went in ambulance with our boys. We had x-rays and cat scans and thank god all was good. Everyone at the ER was in shock that we were alive!
Mum Issues A Stark Warning To All Parents
Thank god for this vehicle that kept the entire cab in tact. Thank god I am a psycho mom who did not listen to her kid and let them ride in a booster! 5 point harness car seats saved my kids lives. Please I am begging you as a mom to really look at this. This could be you! This could be anyone! I would hate to hear about your poor innocent child that died because of a choice that you made for them that could save their life. My children beat the odds on Wednesday and we are very very lucky they are alive.
Booster seat only once 65-100lbs and always back seat. The front seat has wrecked me as a grown adult! Do not do that to these poor growing kids! Back is always best! Do your best to protect them! We are now dealing with body image issues, soreness, nightmares, depression, sensitivity to loud noises, just not feeling like ourselves. This is heartbreaking to see the emotional toll it is taking on our babies!” – via Sarah Sutton
A car seat safety blogger has shared a shocking photo online, warning parents not to jump into using a high-backed booster for their little ones too soon.
The Facebook page, The ERF Mission. A Rear Facing Family, shared a photo at the beginning of the year that shows severe bruising on an adult’s body after a collission, caused by a seat belt. The picture was used to highlight why children should stay in rear-facing car seats which use a harness for restraint, rather than a seat belt, for as long as possible.
Shocking Photo Shows Why Rear Facing Is Best
Legally in the UK, children over 15kg (the weight of the average three-year-old) had been allowed to travel in a backless booster seat, BUT from March 2017 this year, only children OVER 125cm and weighing more than 22kg are be able to travel using one. This raises the age for children using backless booster seats to around six to eight years old.
All booster seats (including high-backed models) use seat belts to hold a child in place, and do provide adequate protection. But this warning says parents shouldn’t rush to move their kids out of their rear-facing seats until absolutely necessary, as they are ‘far safer’. But, the post clearly states at the beginning: ‘Everyone needs to wear a seat belt – that is a given fact! Seat belts saves lives!’ Although the photograph shows bruising and cuts from a seat belt, the post makes it clear that seat belts are vital and must be worn in vehicles. Think twice’
‘This is what can happen to you with a seat belt – an adult.
‘The focus is to try and prevent parents/carers/childminders to put children into an adult seat belt before they are old enough. ‘Far too many jump to a HBB the moment the child hits the minimum weight limit for example,’ said the unnamed blogger. ‘So what I am trying to do – is show that this is the injury inflicted on an adult – so with that knowledge in the back of your mind – maybe it will make you think twice before you decide to jump to the high back booster or just a seat belt on your child – as a rear facing car seat would never do this to the child.’ As rear-facing car seats use a harness, the car seat safety blogger has advised parents not to make the move to high-backed boosters, which use seat belts to strap the child in, until needed: ‘So wait as long as possible before you take that last step – the high back booster,’ the blogger wrote. ‘The children are far safer rear facing for as long as possible.’ Advice Keep your child rear facing for as long as possible, then switch to a high-backed booster once they’ve outgrown their Group 1 rear-facing seat. High-backed boosters are still a safe method of transporting your child, but better used for children aged four plus.
