4 Things Alabama Kids Did in the 1960s That Would Panic Parents Today

Before 1970, prescription bottles usually came with plain screw caps that a kid could twist open.

Alabamians who grew up then remember a lot that today’s parents would never allow.

Here’s what Alabama kids did in the 1960s that would panic parents today.

1. Riding Without a Seat Belt

Seat belts were among the features that followed a 1966 federal law on vehicle standards.

Wearing them was another matter.

Even in 1981, only about 11% of Americans buckled up, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Alabama’s seat belt law dates only to 1991.

As a passenger in a car with a model year before 1965, you can still skip the belt.

Rural letter carriers and people delivering newspapers house to house are exempt too.

The state amended its belt law as recently as 2019.

Today, the law requires each occupant of a car with seat belts to buckle up, including your kid in the back seat.

2. Riding Without a Car Seat

The first child restraints designed for crash protection didn’t arrive until 1968, and the first federal standard followed in 1971, according to Safe Ride News.

In neighboring Tennessee, under 10% of children used a restraint before a 1978 law mandated them.

Four years later, use topped 40%, and car deaths among children under 4 had fallen by more than half.

Alabama’s car seat law traces to a 1982 act.

Lawmakers have amended it in 1989, 2006 and 2014.

Before a 2006 change, the law covered children under six, with a fine of no more than $10.

Children ages four and five could use a regular seat belt in place of a car seat.

Today, your kid needs a restraint that fits their age and size.

The fine is $25.

If you show a judge you’ve bought the right seat, the charge may be dismissed.

3. Biking Without a Helmet

According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, the Snell Foundation issued the first U.S. bicycle helmet standard in 1970.

Two helmets, the Bell Biker and the Mountain Safety Research model, came to market in the mid-1970s.

Even in the mid-to-late 1980s, local studies showed only 2% to 3% of children under 15 used a bicycle helmet.

Alabama’s helmet law took effect on Sept. 19, 1995, as the Brad Hudson-Alabama Bicycle Safety Act.

Today, your kid has to wear a helmet on a bicycle until age 16.

That goes for passengers too.

A passenger under 40 pounds or 40 inches tall has to ride in a restraining seat.

The first offense gets your kid a talk with an officer.

By the fourth offense, you get a $50 citation.

4. Getting Into the Medicine Cabinet

Before 1970, prescription vials typically came with standard screw caps and snap caps, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Pediatricians long considered poisoning the leading cause of injury among children under 5.

In 1966, a voluntary industry limit capped children's aspirin at 36 tablets per container.

That changed.

Many medicine bottles in your cabinet have child-resistant caps because of a 1970 federal law.

The Poison Prevention Packaging Act requires certain drugs and household products to come in containers that young children can't easily open.

So if you've ever struggled with a pill bottle cap, that's the law at work.

By 1983, poison control center reports of young children swallowing aspirin or aspirin substitutes had fallen 65% since the law was introduced.

Emergency room visits for children under 5 tied to products covered by child-resistant rules fell from 48,000 in 1974 to 34,000 in 1981.

Visits tied to unregulated products rose from 51,000 to 56,000 over the same stretch.

A Boating Rule From 1994

Alabama's life jacket rule for children dates to a 1994 act.

Today, if your child is under eight, you have to make sure they wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket on the water.

A child inside an enclosed cabin is exempt.

The life jacket has to be strapped, snapped or zippered securely.

The CDC says life jackets can reduce the risk of drowning while boating for people of all ages and swimming abilities.

That includes strong swimmers.

A Yard Game Banned in 1988

The Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the sale of all lawn darts in the United States, effective Dec. 19, 1988.

Before the ban, stores sold lawn darts in sets that usually included four large darts and two targets.

From January 1978 to December 1986, lawn darts caused an estimated 6,100 injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms.

About 81% of the people hurt were under 15, and half were under 10.

Three children died.

They were ages 4, 7 and 13.

If you find a set in your garage, destroy it.

Rates After the Rules

You can trace the rise in seat belt use to 1984, when the first state laws requiring it arrived.

Rules changed habits.