Family busted not using seatbelts twice in two days on same street

Police thought they had sent a tough message when they busted a learner driver mum with her kids loose in her car in Brunswick. So they couldn’t believe what they found when they pulled over the father the next day.

A family has been caught twice not using a baby car seat properly. Picture: Generic photo

A family has been busted not using seatbelts correctly on their children twice in consecutive days on the same street.

A woman was pulled over on Stranger St, Brunswick on Wednesday after police noticed a 10-month-old was unrestrained in the front seat and a 3-year-old was moving around freely in the back of the car.

The woman was also driving unaccompanied while on a learner permit.

On the same street on the next day, the same car was pulled over by police when they noticed the 3-year-old was incorrectly restrained in the front seat.

This time the baby was in a car seat but it wasn’t anchored onto the back seat.

The father did have a correct licence.

Fawkner Highway Patrol acting Senior Sergeant Dean Pickering said after the officers spent half an hour explaining road safety to the mother during the first incident, it was frustrating for police to see the lesson was ignored the second time around.

“Our kids are relying on us to make the right decisions to keep them safe,” he said.

“Many parents who don’t restrain kids, only think about having a smash. A car may have to brake harshly, an unrestrained child could easily sustain serious injuries even while braking.

“I went to a collision a couple of years ago, it still stays with me. The parent asked if their baby was okay, I didn’t even realise there was a baby in the car, there were no baby or child seats.

“We found the baby in the front foot well of the car with the car twisted around the baby. The baby sustained serious injuries.”

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The family was hit with five fines across the two days, four for not using a seatbelt or restraint properly and one for the mother driving unaccompanied as a learner.

Sen Sgt Pickering said the family was fined about $2000 and hit with 12 demerit points.

“On any day I would rather see people spend the money on correct car seats than on fines,” he said.