Modern regulation compliant infant and child car seats are incredibly expensive. Given this story, I’d surmise the regulations unfairly target minorities implicitly as they are most grievously impacted.
Most hospitals (tax payer) will provide a baby car seat for any child born in that hospital. I doubt they would even let you leave the hospital with your baby if you had no car seat.
Hispanics and blacks most affected....
What a load of crap!
I then point out that I'm a white driver and you better believe that every sheriff in the area is eager to issue me a ticket for a child riding without proper restraint, which generally gets through to them.
Ever since race had to be marked down on tickets to measure for some FBI or DOJ study how many tickets are issued to minorities (or majorities, depending on the city), it seems like cops go out of their way to make sure that everything’s balanced up right.
I'm not blaming them for this problem, I'm putting the blame right on the people doing stupid idiotic things like having their kids ride in a car without the proper safety gear. To many of them get tickets for it when there's zillions of programs to provide free seats; they just leave them at home because who's going to give them a ticket for it?
Surprising stats about child carseats
https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_levitt_on_child_carseats/transcript?language=en
So?
Seat belt laws are stupid.
That said, I Always use them because it’s my choice.
It could only be that blacks and Hispanics in Texas read Steven Levitt and have learned that car seats make a child no safer than a simple lap and shoulder belt.
Laws are for white people.
So if there’s a difference in enforcement do you think it falls into the same category as police being on average quicker to shoot white criminals?
It is not the government’s business to worry about risks people take for themselves or for their family members. My safety is not the government’s business unless I am working for the government and only the safety of my work environment.
No cop wants the hassle of dealing with those groups unless absolutely necessary. His job is too important to lose it over someone who hates him.
I spent my Youth riding in 50’s and early 60’s Cars with no Seat Belts, riding in Pickup Truck Beds, hopping on my Schwinn Stingray without a Bike Helmet and going Target Shooting in the Mountains with my Older Brother.
Oh yeah, I had one of those Chemical Sets and played with Mercury and goodness knows what. I knew not to eat anything that was in there.
Surprise, I’m still breathing at age 63.
The full weight of the law in this country only bears upon white males anymore, that much is becoming clear. Everyone else has an excuse of some kind and the courts let it slide.
The proper term for a child sitting on a parent’s lap is a “Puerto Rican airbag.”
Alaska. Many people of all melanin do not use them.
Per the article, the driver has been cited. Which sounds like she was ticketed for a moving violation. Which, depending on TX law, may be all LE can do on the car seat issue. Hopefully a child abuse investigation will result and more can be done.
Victor Davis Hanson wrote about it in California, where he owns a farm in the Central Valley. Out there, they simply have 2 systems of justice (informally). The first system applies to people that can afford the fines and/or need to stay out of jail (translated: mainly white people), and the second system of justice applies to those who cannot afford the fines and don’t really care what’s on their criminal record.
He gives example, after example, including complying with ‘environmental’ regulations, registering/insuring/inspecting of cars, camping out on private property (his), dumping trash wherever (his property again), not reporting income and collecting government ‘benefits’ at the same time...
Sounds like there’s some of that in South Texas. Sorry for the kids, but until/unless we become a nation of laws again, get used to it.
What strikes me is that people are STILL being allowed to drive cars with Takata air bags. At the very least, they should be removed.
What part of Texas are you referring to?
I’ve noticed that for years. I’m in Ohio but traveled for work for years. Cultural more than geographic I guess. Rather spend the money on shiny wheel rims than car seats.
Enforcement = who can/will pay the fines.