Guest viewing is limited

Kids in cars

SugoiBoy

SugoiBoy

TAG Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
1,426
Reaction score
2,179
One of things that I do find odd about Japan is that so many drivers here let young children sit in the front passenger seat.

Kids should be in the back and wearing seat belts. Moreover, if they are small, then they had better be in a child safety seat.

On a somewhat related topic, people should never leave a child unattended in a car for even a moment.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MikeH
SugoiBoy said:
One of things that I do find odd about Japan is that so many drivers here let young children sit in the front passenger seat.
Click to expand...

Not everyone let's them sit in front. Some let them stand between the front seats. Must be good training if you want them to become human cannonballs.

Moreover you should belt up only those kids you like to keep.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Frenchy, Unhurried Harry, Lukes and 5 others
I see it every day out here in inaka. Kids standing in front with no seatbelt. In a country where everything screams "abunai" I find this to be insane.
However, it is a Darwinian way to keep Mom's dna from spreading any further.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cabbie, Frenchy, ShowaJidai and 5 others
You forgot to mention the young moms that drive scooters with one kid standing on the floorboards between her and the handlebars, and another in a baby carrier on her back.... that one always makes me cringe.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lukes, F1guy2017, TheScientist and 5 others
Japanese law requires children to either be seat-belted or in an approved child-seat (depending on age). But, like so many other public safety laws in Japan... they are only enforced once or twice a year, when the Japanese National Police put on their show of doing their jobs.

Besides the ones already mentioned here... how about the 45 kilo mothers riding bicycles with a kid in the front seat, a kid on the back seat, AND another kid strapped to her front or back? WTF?! The bike takes a tumble... there is no way she is going to stop any of the kids from getting harmed. The law used to be only one child on a bike with the parent, but that was changed for convenience to two children.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Unhurried Harry, SugoiBoy and TAG Manager
JaquesAfrog said:
The law used to be only one child on a bike with the parent
Click to expand...

Originally it was wholly unregulated, then they passed the law limiting it to one child, there was a national uproar from the mothers, and they amended the law to allow for two children up to the age of 7 (but the bicycle has to be purposefully designed for carrying two children.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Unhurried Harry, SugoiBoy and TAG Manager
JaquesAfrog said:
Besides the ones already mentioned here... how about the 45 kilo mothers riding bicycles with a kid in the front seat, a kid on the back seat, AND another kid strapped to her front or back? WTF?!
Click to expand...
Whenever I see this (almost everyday actually) somehow "put all eggs in one basket" idiom pops up in my mind ...
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: DocMcStuffins, bichan2, SugoiBoy and 1 other person
Sudsy said:
You forgot to mention the young moms that drive scooters with one kid standing on the floorboards between her and the handlebars, and another in a baby carrier on her back.... that one always makes me cringe.
Click to expand...
Have you been to Vietnam? They are pros at fitting 4-5 people on scooter that's designed for 2.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lars Lust, Frenchy, bichan2 and 4 others
TheScientist said:
If she's had 3 kids I'd praise her for doing her part for the nation!
Click to expand...

Yeah, but she is definitely going for one or more after-birth abortions there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SugoiBoy
TheScientist said:
As far as I'm concerned, the fact that there are not thousands of pedestrian and bicycle related deaths in Japan every day is proof of the existence of God.
Click to expand...

I remember when I went to Phuket the first time. We were in a car and the local guide was going through the things we would need to know, like the prices, err, entertainment and beer.

Then he said something in the lines of how we need to be careful with the traffic, please don't rent motorbikes etc. He continued there are a surprisingly high number of deaths every day with scooter and can you guess it? Just at the same time we were going down a hilly road and behind a blind corner comes a scooter with the normal dad, mom and three kids. In the middle of the road, the dad keeping one hand on the scooter's handle, the other trying to block the sun from his eyes but obviously not seeing anything in front of him.

Everyone promised not to be surprised with any number the guide would come up next.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SugoiBoy, Sudsy and AliceInWonderland
MikeH said:
I remember when I went to Phuket the first time. We were in a car and the local guide was going through the things we would need to know, like the prices, err, entertainment and beer.

Then he said something in the lines of how we need to be careful with the traffic, please don't rent motorbikes etc. He continued there are a surprisingly high number of deaths every day with scooter and can you guess it? Just at the same time we were going down a hilly road and behind a blind corner comes a scooter with the normal dad, mom and three kids. In the middle of the road, the dad keeping one hand on the scooter's handle, the other trying to block the sun from his eyes but obviously not seeing anything in front of him.

Everyone promised not to be surprised with any number the guide would come up next.
Click to expand...
And to think I get upset by the guys in sandals or the girls in high heels on their motorbikes/scooters here...
 
  • Like
Reactions: SugoiBoy and Sudsy
TheScientist said:
And to think I get upset by the guys in sandals or the girls in high heels on their motorbikes/scooters here...
Click to expand...

Well, the plastic surgeons need paying customers too. When I was still driving I always had all gear on me. It was terrible especially in the summer and in the city but I have long enough sliding marks in my leather jacket and helmet to show it was a good choice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SugoiBoy, Sudsy and TheScientist
I have mad respect for those mothers who balace multiple kids on their bikes. And what are they supposed to do else? It isn't saver to leave one of the kids home alone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wwanderer and MikeH
User#8628 said:
I have mad respect for those mothers who balace multiple kids on their bikes. And what are they supposed to do else? It isn't saver to leave one of the kids home alone.
Click to expand...

Two small ones is probably the maximum where you can argue it's still safe. After that it's not, so you need to come up with another solution.

What's more no-fucking-body here use bicycle helmets. Not the mom, nor any of the kids.
 
User#8628 said:
I've never ever worn one as a kid and that went fine...
Click to expand...

That is called survival bias. As the ones with whom it didn't work so well are not with us to talk about it but six feet under.

Wait, what were we talking about again?
Click to expand...

Oh, sorry, maybe I was wrong. :ROFLMAO:
 
  • Like
Reactions: AliceInWonderland
In Indonesia now. Forget about child seats. People seriously laugh at me when I put on my Seatbelt - I told them the concept of momentum and how I don't fancy going through the windscreen in an accident....then they usually go on about how everything is predetermined in life by Allah and a seat-belt will not save me from death ... if its my time to die, then i should accept death ....etc etc.... and that is when I know to shut up (btw this has happened more than once! some people take religion seriously)

On the motorway, I saw a whole family on a motorbike (2 kids sandwiched between man and woman) - with only Dad wearing the helmet. When I asked about this, an Indonesian told me helmets are just so the police don't stop you and empty your wallet, not for safety (I think they might be less strict on pinion passengers)
 
  • Like
Reactions: SugoiBoy and MikeH
It's funny you brought this up. In the past month, four of my mates have been pinged by the cops for either kids with no seat belt or mother in the front seat holding her baby. All they got was a piece of paper with a warning and points off their license (bye bye gold license).

Back where I'm from there's been a paid penalty since bloody forever. It's sad that Japan's so behind on this kind of stuff aye.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SugoiBoy and MikeH
jhingy567 said:
In Indonesia now. Forget about child seats. People seriously laugh at me when I put on my Seatbelt - I told them the concept of momentum and how I don't fancy going through the windscreen in an accident....then they usually go on about how everything is predetermined in life by Allah and a seat-belt will not save me from death ... if its my time to die, then i should accept death ....etc etc.... and that is when I know to shut up (btw this has happened more than once! some people take religion seriously)

On the motorway, I saw a whole family on a motorbike (2 kids sandwiched between man and woman) - with only Dad wearing the helmet. When I asked about this, an Indonesian told me helmets are just so the police don't stop you and empty your wallet, not for safety (I think they might be less strict on pinion passengers)
Click to expand...
Thats funny, i swear i've heard there is a muslim saying that goes "trust Allah, but also tie up your camel".
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sudsy, Wwanderer, jhingy567 and 1 other person
TristianOsakaBros said:
All they got was a piece of paper with a warning and points off their license (bye bye gold license).
Click to expand...

They'll have gotten a fine too, it's roughly 6,000 yen per point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TristianOsakaBros and MikeH
You must log in or register to reply here.