Baby seat for car

Dilliwala

Somehow I have the same impression, even though I can't think how the laws of science wud change while hurtling down-cliff. Going thru the screen wud surely be more of a certainty rather than less, and more messy? But then again, there it is - somehow I also feel more free with the thing off, and try to drive in such a way that does not require going over cliffs (fingers crossed!)

PS: Saw a nasty accident 10 days back on the Satpuli-Lakshmanjhula road. Tanker carrying tar went off the road at 11 pm six days before. When I saw it, they were on the 4th day off retrieval operations, prob 2 days to go. Why? 12 lakh worth off tar in the tank! Luckily the driver and cleaner lived, one with a broken leg. While going downward (heavily wooded slope - stopped the truck about 80-100 m downhill) they just fell out at the 50 m mark cos their doors were unlocked, as is usually the case with truckies. (Which made me seriously think - mine are always locked on hill-drives!)

ba9rn

Each to his own, and there are even still people in UK who will flout the law (which is strictly enforced by the way). But like Nick, putting a belt on is as natural to me as starting the engine. I would much rather be strapped in if I hit anything (and I have!) than be through the windscreen.

This debate reminds me of something I witnessed near Paris a few years ago - not seat belts in this case though. Seems that French motorcycle riders are only legally compelled to wear helmets inside city limits. It was almost comical to see many, many riders pulling over in order to remove their crash protection. Crazy, I call it - still it's their brain, and it will never happen to them, of course.

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Dilliwala

I wholly agree, in the city that is - here it's also just as natural for me to belt up as starting the car. I don't even take it off the minute I cross the state-line to Gurgaon e.g. (where the law is not enforced). But on long-distance trips, after my 1st stop in the plains (2 or 3 hours later), I don't put it back on. Maybe it's a mental thing, but certainly on long drives, espesh in the hills, I find it more comfortable to drive with the thing off.

karuna

Bless you all for info, I will check out the places you mention.

It took me a while to get used to being un-seatbelted in India, but after a while I forgot about it, even in Delhi where you can get fined. As reckless as I can be with my own life, I don't think I could in all conscience allow a child free reign in a car in India unless I had no other option.

As for seatbelt in the hills- frankly when you're being reversed towards a sheer drop on a switchback road in Himachal, I found a Nepali knitted hat over the eyes and a few memorized prayers more useful (this goes for tuk tuk rides in Varanasi also).

ba9rn

I must confess to being confused! Sounds like you are in Dilli, yet your profile location says 'UK'.

karuna

I am from the UK, and currently in the UK.....this isn't a request for me personally. I've not spawned as yet.

I've just read the thread that Dilliwala pointed to (thanks) and I'm wondering if car hire companies aren't missing a trick here. Surely there must be conscientious tourists who want baby seats on their holidays.

Anyway, I thought I'd do a Master list of all the suggested places for child's car seats in Delhi for any interested folks:

Lifestyle- Lajpat Nagar
Shopper's Stop in Ansal Plaza
Kidzone (location unknown...who's a poet and doesn't know it...)
GK1 M Block Market, possibly called "Wieners"- kids shop possibly stocks seats.

Nick-H

Are whole families on a motorbike allowed in other cities?

Is it allowed to hold a child in arms on a motorbike?

Just how much more crazy is this place I live in than the rest of India? People here always tell me it's less crazy --- now the truth is coming out!

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capt_mahajan

Yes, in Hyderabad. Sure there is some law against it somwhere, but in practice, you can see four people, sometimes more.. infant sliding off mothers lap et al.

Two wheelers arent so popular in Mumbai, except for short distances in the suburbs, but similar sights there too, sometimes. And in Delhi. And in most other cities I have been to.

Relax. You are not alone

shashank.aggarwal

Full families are not allowed but you will still see them nevertheless of the law..the rule if two passengers only..

yes people do carry Children in arms on bikes..I guess there is no law against it..

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shanthi

and dont forget to have a camera with you when it rains, you'll see motorbike and scooter passengers with their umbrellas up whilst riding along happily too!!! Never fails to raise a smile in this sometimes depressing world!!

shashank.aggarwal

very true..infact rains (when are not causing havoc) are the happiest times in lives of most Indians...

Its the time when the actual fun loving side comes out for most of the people..

Dilliwala

When u say "allowed", I presume that's in reference to "the law" -

Of course not. U own a car so u know your registration paper talks about "licensed capacity". It's a no-brainer that for a 2-wheeler that number is "2". From this u can figure out the answer to your 2nd ques yourself. No exceptions for babes-in-arms, either.
Now if u want to talk about "reality" as opposed to "the law".....well, u can guess that there are some cops who own 2-wheelers themselves, and on occasion transport themselves plus family, due to necessity as someone pointed out above, on said 2-wheeler. In other words, if licensed capacity rules are enforced, a lot of people in this country wud be in trouble all the time. So what do u do? The same as first-world countries like France do vis-a-vis the public smoking ban. Nothing. No, your town is no crazier than ROI on this count.

Less crazy, more crazy - it's safer to judge that on a case by case basis, IMO. F'rinstance, I don't believe Delhi wud face near-shutdown if a public figure wud say it's ok for people to have pre-marital sex so long as they use protection. Protests by the BJP/RSS yes, but no shutdown.


(PS: If an insurance co finds out that an accident claim for a vehicle involved more occupants than the licensed capacity, they can and do refuse such claims. So people are basically tempting fate, when over-carrying. Then again, most people only have the mandatory 3rd-party insurance anyway. It's a complex matter!)

Dilliwala

Of course they don't think so - their simple argument wud be about cost. Which is BS, if the customer is willing and happy to pay. I guess they can't be bothered becos it's not mandated by law. Which does not reflect well on Hertz and Avis becos they are supposed to be international cos. and charge more than the others.
Same prob with the manufacturers - becos there's no law mandating steering-wheel assemblies (indicator and wiper levers, etc) be "RH drive" only, manufacturers from "LH drive" countries think they can just ignore this, and do. Gross insensitivity I think. They won't be getting any of my money.

Nick-H

No, I mean in reference to what actually happens on the street. There are good laws in UK that largely go unenforced, such as not using a mobile phone while driving, because traffic police have now largely been replaced by speed cameras, and the emphasis has changed from enforcing good driving to collecting money from people who exceed strict speed limits.

However, just one instance of a motor-bike laden as is common on Indian streets would hit the national press! It would be like man drives on wrong side of motorway! Ahh... OK, bad example; that probably wouldn't be news in India! Even when it does lead to an accident

Talking about 'necessity' seems to me to be just reducing the awareness of danger and the level at which something becomes 'necessary'.

What's necessary? Getting your wife to hospital when her waters have broken, birth is imminent, you have no licence and have taken just enough driving lessons to get her there by car? Or needing to get the children to school? Or running out of sugar?

On steering-wheel assemblies, BTW, I have a vague feeling, from general experience over the years, that it goes: Japanese one way; rest of the world the other. And I suppose it is probably related to the fact that the Japanese, like the Brits and the Indians, drive on the left --- but it is something I don't expect to be standard, and get some confusion changing cars. We should just think ourselves lucky that the clutch--brake--accelerator placing is internationally standard!!!

Barryjames

Re: Car seat/restraint systems; if it does not have one, in whatever state or country, you can easily have one fitted. I have had this done myself after importing a vehicle into the UK. This was in 1969 and I am sure that technology and personal expertise has progressed a great deal since then.

Incidentally, in Goa it is mandatory to wear the seat belts, my relations there will use longer alternative routes to avoid the areas where the police are known to be. All this just to avoid wearing the thing?

Carry cot restraints; there are many baby/young child type seating type products on the market in India, again, these can easily be adapted in order to protect a child traveller. They may not be to the appropriate EC safety standard, but it beats the hell out of seeing your child continue for a further fifty yards down the road after the carrying vehicle has stopped.

NB: In Melbourne Australia, a male car driver was killed by a tiny shard of glass entering his eye where it entered his brain, police records show that the car was travelling at a maximum speed of 12 MPH.

Like most other hazards in life, people are totally selfish when it comes to their personal habits and wishes. Not many people give any thought to the effect of their death disability etc, on those people who are also affected, e.g. their wives, children, friends and the like.

Finally, (and then I will stop nagging ) if you have realised the danger or the chance of danger to your child due to the lack of child restraining systems, in my mind you are guilty of a gross deficiency of good judgement at the very least, if you carry a child and are just waiting until you can find one.

To date, there have been many hundreds of successful prosecutions involving car drivers and hand held cell phones in the UK, they are also now used in evidence in serious court cases where voice call records prove that the phone was in use when the incident happened.

UK has the best road safety record in Europe, ‘Pro rata', But 3000 human beings are still being sacrificed every year due entirely to the stupidity of man.

~ An auto tourist is a person who travels 2500 miles just to have a picture of him/herself taken standing in front of a car~
.....Anon.....