Korean Job Discussion Forums

ucfvgirl · Joined: 28 Sep 2005 Location: Bundang

I am just wondering why Koreans think that the driver needs to wear a seatbelt, but the rest of the passengers don't, especially babies and children. Are they ignorant to the fact that children can be thrown through the windshield with the slightest bump? It bothers me that the driver values their own life, but doesn't seem to care about the other people in the car.

Everyday I see children bouncing around the car, hanging their heads out the window without a care in the world. Everyday I see woman holding new born babies on their laps with no seatbelt or child car seat. However, today I saw what I would call the icing on the cake. A man was driving holding a baby, maybe 9 months old on his lap. I was walking my dog and he had the baby hanging out the window looking at my dog. Granted the car was stopped at a light, but why was the baby on his lap to begin with? Last week, I saw a small child standing on the floor in front of the front passenger seat, looking out the window. A little bump and that kids' neck would be jammed up against the dashboard. What the hell is wrong with people?

It just pisses me off to no end to see children jumping around the car. Doesn't Korea have a law about seatbelts? Or child car seats? And if they do, then where are the police enforcements? I just get so angry when I see this.

Any insight into why Koreans think it's ok to put their children at risk of serious injury or even death would be helpful. Now I understand why immigrants in Canada participate in this dangerous behaviour.

korea252 · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Location: Seoul, Haebangchon

Hi
I agree about car seats - better safe than sorry.
Just wondering though if seeing babies on buses and subways concerns you just as much?

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

They passed a law last year to require all passengers to wear seatbelts or all children to be in carseats (I can't remember which one right now). It was repealed b/c the citizens complained that was too inconvenient.
I say-- they've made thier bed. now let them lie in it. (and yes, I've been in Korea too long)

jaganath69 · Joined: 17 Jul 2003

Highest infant mortality rate in car crashes in the OECD, yet some griped that "we don't need foreigners to tell us how to look after our kids, we Koreans have our own ways" when the car seat controversy was raging. The other day I was following a small car in which two young kids were rolling around on the ledge in front of the back window. Now that speaks volumes to me.

periwinkle · Joined: 08 Feb 2003

potin14p · Joined: 04 May 2006

this drives me nuts. I remember talking to kids at school about this, and getting the same reaction.
"Teacher, no! Seatbelts are too uncomfortable!"
So then i tried the "which would you rather be: uncomfortable, or dead? " and they all said 'dead'. honestly. where is the comon sense?

blaseblasphemener · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:49 pm Post subject:

For those of you too young to remember the 80s, at that time seatbelt laws were put into effect. People raised holy hell in the West. Almost nobody wore seatbelts, and only European luxury cars had shoulder straps in the back seat. Korea is about 30 years behind the west on many issues, and this happens to be one of them. Time will change things. In the meantime, look for countless babies to die unnecessarily.

periwinkle · Joined: 08 Feb 2003

Alyallen · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:12 pm Post subject:

xtchr · Joined: 23 Nov 2004

I've been told on quite a few occasions it's because "Korea steel No 1", therefore "Korea car strong". Rolling Eyes

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

BTW, the law that they passed was later revoked. So, no, there's no law about children being in car seats.

Pak Yu Man · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Location: The Ida galaxy

Bondgirl · Joined: 26 May 2007 Location: in my Aston Martin

You are right, it is appalling, however, it's not only Korea that's like this about kids in cars, and seat belts. A lot of Europe does similar stuff, and like here, they are crazy crazy in love with their kids- they just do things differently. Some of that 'differently' business is dangerous and it will take time to educate and change behaviors. They would argue that their kids are uncomfortable and don't like being tied up in the car and grizzle. You argue it's dangerous and they must be protected. Different styles of thinking.

blaseblasphemener · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:30 pm Post subject:

My grandparents told me that when they were much younger, they used to pack a coktail for the road, when they had to go on a drive outside the city. It's amazing how times change. I also remember doing 10 hour drives across the Prairies with my parents both puffing away on their cigs. My cousins whose parents didn't smoke complained when they rode in our car. I thought they were just being whiney.