How to Travel With a Baby in a Taxi?

Want to travel with a baby in a taxi? Taxi rides can make many adults uncomfortable, and babies have a much worse time. There’s a lot of over-stimulation on the roads caused by:

• The unceasing sound of horns
• Traffic and crowds
• Unknown environment
• Changing the speed and motion of the car

How to Travel With a Baby in a Taxi?

To travel while keeping your baby calm, you need to understand key points on how to travel with a baby in a taxi. Thankfully, many tried and tested tips can put your baby perfectly at ease. Here’s what you can do.

 

5 Tips for Taxi Travel With Babies

Most parents struggle with finding an easy seat with a good restraint system and working seat belts. Following are some know-it-alls to ensure hands-free short trips with your child.

 

Tip 1: Learn about Baby Taxi Safety Options

Practically there is only one option for taxi rides that is completely safe. It’s carrying a booster seat with you and installing it in your own vehicle. For best support, put the baby in the rear seat that has a lap belt, along with an adult.

You may put the baby in the front seat too if needed, but you just have to keep a close eye on it the entire time as it might start to fuss by seeing the activity on the roads through the windscreen.

Another option is having the baby sit on an adult’s lap while a regular seat belt is used to keep the baby safe. Although many parents do this, especially in ride share services, using this method is strongly inadvisable as it can put the child in further distress.

When taking public transportation, there is no chance of using booster seats as there are no lap belts. The parent has to become the infant carrier and have the baby in a safe hold.

A shuttle bus has the requirement for adjusting car seats, but they may not be provided by the service. You would have to carry your own car seat and install it for the ride.

 

Tip 2: Learn the Installation of a Car Seat Option Properly

Properly understand how to install the car seat before you take it up on the ride, especially if you are traveling in shuttle buses or taxis. Otherwise, complete strangers will be giving you rude glances while you’re fumbling about.

For installation, you can use latches, belt locking clips or just a lap belt as well.

 

Tip 3: Don’t Shy Out on Communication With Taxi Drivers

You might not find the local taxi driver very helpful when you are installing the car seat and may even receive a look of annoyance.

To deal with it, let him know beforehand that you will be adjusting the dedicated child seat in the car. And when installing, leave the door ajar until your child is safely buckled in.

Call your local taxi ahead of time because it will take some time for the installation process.

 

Tip 4: Get Acquainted With Laws Regarding Baby Carrier

In most cities, there are specific laws on car services for children in big cities. There are variations to the law depending on the type of car and the location. Not knowing the law will put you at risk of getting fined by the authorities.

In the US, car seat laws state that all children of or under 8 years should be in a dedicated seat with a child safety belt.

Some laws require you to carry a car seat with you while others don’t. Most ridesharing services, if not all, will provide an infant car seat free of cost. If there is none, you have to ask for an additional infant seat.

 

Tip 5: Keep Your Baby in a Good Mood

Babies don’t like traveling even when they are in their special seats.

Keep your child’s favorite toys with you to play with and create some necessary distractions for a good trip. And if you want the best trip with your child then get a new toy for every car ride.

Big city babies and all babies in general are huge toy hoarders. They love to be intrigued by novelty, so make sure to use that to your power.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1.     What if the driver doesn’t provide a car seat and it’s not mandatory by state laws?

If this is your case, you can of course travel with your child but for safety purposes, you must put them on a rear-facing.

2.     Can car seats be adjusted in a rear-facing position?

No, car seats are only forward facing. For rear-facing installation, you have to get convertible car seats.

3.     Can I secure my child with an adult seat belt if there is no other option?

You can definitely employ this alternative option with children who are over 3 years old. If your child is less than 3 years old, then you don’t have the option to do this unless the state is lax on its car seat laws.

4.     Can I bring my child’s car seat to the train station?

Yes, but that’s as far as it can go. Trains have no system for child restraints as such, so you cannot install one in a train seat.

 

Conclusion

Try to not have your child travel too much as it always stresses out their nerves. If you absolutely have to, use a car seat or better yet, a convertible one.

The bottom line is knowing how to travel with a baby in a taxi can save you and your child a lot of trouble. Public transport does not have car seat belts, so you will have to dearly hold your child when you are on one.

With every other form of car, you can keep a car seat with you. You have to do this until your child is under 3 years old. Children above 3 years of age can use their own seatbelts in the car which serves no function for the much hassle.

 

References

• https://saferide4kids.com/car-seat-laws-by-state/#:~:text=Law%3A%20All%20children%20must%20be,in%20a%20vehicle’s%20seat%20belt.
• https://travelingcanucks.com/2019/02/bring-travel-car-seat/
• https://www.dingledanglebaby.com/blogs/blog/how-to-travel-with-baby-in-taxi
• https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/auto-prek-bigkid.html#:~:text=Place%20the%20booster%20seat%20forward,sure%20it%20is%20installed%20correctly.
• https://travelcarseatmom.com/car-seats-taxis/
• https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/when-a-child-can-travel-without-a-car-seat

Last Updated on November 5, 2023 by Brian Beasley