RCMP in Airdrie came upon a bit of a bizarre situation during a routine traffic stop on Tuesday and as a result are reminding drivers that they are responsible for safely securing children when travelling in a vehicle

Police pulled over a vehicle for speeding in Airdrie on Tuesday and were surprised when they found a pre-school aged child in a cardboard box on the backseat.

They say the adult driver claimed that the child refused to sit in a child safety seat and wanted to play in the box instead. 

“As I talked to the driver, I noticed the cardboard box was moving. I asked what was in the box and I was shocked when I saw a child's hand pop out and wave,” said RCMP Sergeant Darrin Turnbull, a member of the Integrated Traffic Unit in Alberta. “The driver told me the child had refused to stay in the child seat and wanted to play in the box. It was obvious who was in charge of things in that vehicle, but the adult got the ticket.”

Police charged the driver with speeding and with failing to properly secure a child in a motor vehicle.

“It was shocking to see a situation like that where a young child, there was a child seat back there for him to be in, the driver advised that the child did not want to ride in the child seat, he wanted to ride in the box and he was allowed to do that,” said Turnbull. “I know it is sometimes easier to just give in, but when it comes to safety of a child, the adults and not the kids must be in charge.”

RCMP say the driver is responsible for the safety of all passengers in their vehicle especially children.

“My message is to all adults, anybody who is driving a vehicle,  you are responsible for everybody in your vehicle, especially when they’re children. You know these children are too young to make big decisions like this. A decision that, had there been a collision or even just a sudden brake application, could have affected or he could have been hurt or seriously injured, possibly even killed in a collision so please take care of your friends and family and your people who are driving with you. Your number one responsibility is to them and to keep them safe so it’s not their choice to make, who's in the child seat or whether they wear their seatbelt, you make that decision for them and make sure they’re safe” said Turnbull.

Police are not releasing the name of the adult charged in order to protect the privacy of the child involved.