# carrying a baby/young children in a taxi



## garryks (17 Sep 2006)

We've a 1.5 yr old and 4 yr old and was booking a taxi for this week and asked if any taxi's had baby seats. The general answer was no, taxis don't have them and we would need to carry the baby on our lap, and the taxi driver would need to be ok with that. 

so, is this usual, are there no taxi's with baby seats?
If the taxi driver accepts us with a baby on our lap, does this imply he is accepting responsibility and does his insuarance cover us still in the event of an accident?

Thanks
G.


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## Con (17 Sep 2006)

Thats a coincidence, I was travelling to the RDS on saturday and was going to use the train and get a taxi with my 2yr old so on Friday night I rang a few taxi companies to try get one with a baby seat and was told that normally kids just sit in the back seat with the belt on and that baby seats are too bulky to carry around. I would imagine that whoever is driving the taxi would be responsible for any children in his car.


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## ramble (17 Sep 2006)

Taxis are exempt from the child seat rules.


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## Joe1234 (17 Sep 2006)

ramble said:


> Taxis are exempt from the child seat rules.



Ok, but who is responsible then in the event of an accident?


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## Horatio (18 Sep 2006)

quite a ridiculous exemption really


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## Crugers (18 Sep 2006)

> quite a ridiculous exemption really


 
Yeh! Right!
They should be made to provide child seats in the same way as other forms of transport are - bus, train, plane, ferry...
And they should have a selection too, some rear facing for babies, some larger for bigger children and maybe a booster seat for the biggest children...


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## ACA (18 Sep 2006)

*originally posted by Joe1234*


> Ok, but who is responsible then in the event of an accident?


Whichever insurance company that the taxi is insured with. 

A way to minimize risk to your children is to put the 1 1/2 yr old on the floor behind the passenger seat with a few toys and the 4 yr old strapped in with the lap section of the belt behind the drivers seat. It's not ideal but better than them going thru the windscreen.


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## demoivre (18 Sep 2006)

Crugers said:


> Yeh! Right!
> They should be made to provide child seats in the same way as other forms of transport are - bus, train, plane, ferry...
> And they should have a selection too, some rear facing for babies, some larger for bigger children and maybe a booster seat for the biggest children...



Yep, gone are the days of giving lifts to friends of my lads to matches , home from school etc. without having a range of seats in tow in a trailer! Can't for the life of me see how the young lad on the booster cushion in here is *safer* than if he was just strapped in! Wouldn't mind but we only gave away our two booster seats last year to a friend . Mick if your reading this can we have 'em back ....now where's me laser card.........again !


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## demoivre (18 Sep 2006)

jaybird said:


> The point with the booster seat is that if the child was just sitting on the seat, the seatbelt would be cutting across his neck, rather than his chest. In the event of an accident or even a sudden stoppage, the seatbelt could basically cause strangulation/ injury to the throat.
> Time and time again research shows that using proper seats and restraints for children and babies cuts the risk of serious injuries and fatalities by huge margins, upwards of 75% .
> Personally I think those people who drive around with unrestrained children in the car should face huge penalties. I recently saw a women driving with an adult passenger , both of them strapped in, with an unrestrained baby on the passengers lap and several children standing up in the back bouncing around. If they had even a fairly minor accident it could be a real tragedy. You can buy a booster seat for €15 and a proper baby seat for €60. I don't think thats a high price to pay for such benefits.
> I think the fines should be huge.



I know what the point of the booster seat is, that's why we used to have them for our lads and why we subsequently gave them away now that they are taller  - the young lad in the link above looked to me like he was of adequate height to be able to be strapped in to  the back seat safely without a booster and imo the photo of the young girl in the booster seat shows the seat belt perilously close to the girls throat which  is precisely what we are all trying to avoid - height is the crucial factor in determining the way you seat the child imo. Generally I agree with the  points you have made.


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## Crugers (18 Sep 2006)

> The point with the booster seat is that if the child was just sitting on the seat, the seatbelt would be cutting across his neck, rather than his chest.


 
I think it is also to stop the "submarine" effect where the child slip under the seatbelt in a crash!

Anyway, my point was that you couldn't expect a taxi to carry suitable seating for all children. Some cars do have "duel" seating, looks like a normal adult seat but transforms into a booster child seat.

Parents should provide their own child seats.


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## hjrdee (18 Sep 2006)

Crugers said:


> Parents should provide their own child seats.


 
So if I get a taxi to the airport when I go on holiday then I should provide the Taxidriver with a childseat? And should I bring it on holidays with me or perhaps the taxidriver might mind it for me


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## hjrdee (18 Sep 2006)

*Why is there an exemption for taxis?
*Child restraints come in several weight classes and it is unreasonable to expect that taxis, hackneys and limousines would always have the appropriate child restraint available.

*What other exemptions apply to private cars?*
Ireland has availed of an option to allow a child of three years of age or over to wear an adult safety belt in the rear of a passenger car or light goods vehicle (LGV), where two child restraints are already fitted, and it is not possible to fit another child restraint. 
*What do I do if I have more children in the rear of a car than there are seatbelts installed?*
Ireland has availed of an exemption until May 2009 which allows children to sit unrestrained in the rear of a vehicle where seatbelts are not available.  This concession, _used responsibly_, is intended to facilitate families with cars where the number of children is greater than the seats available for them. 
*Why is the older child defined in terms of 150 cm in height and weighing less than 36 kilograms instead of age?*
Children come in all shapes and sizes at any age. Child restraints come in several weight classes. The upper limit of 150cms in height and 36kgs in weight corresponds to a child of eleven or twelve years of age. What is important is that the safetyrestraint used is appropriate to the height and weight of the child and is properly fitted.
*What happens in the case of MPVs and SUVs?*
MPVs and SUVs are treated as private cars unless they are registered as a goods vehicle. 
*Do I have to fit or buy extra safety restraints or seats?*
Please see the leaflet provided by the RSA for appropriate weight and height recommendations or log onto www.rsa.ie/childsafetyincars


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## ACA (18 Sep 2006)

> Some cars do have "duel" seating


 
Is that where you sit to have a row with the taxi driver for not providing booster seats!!


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## CharlieC (18 Sep 2006)

There is a new EU directive that will mean children up to 12 years of age will be required to use a car seat

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4781511.stm


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## demoivre (18 Sep 2006)

CharlieC said:


> There is a new EU directive that will mean children up to 12 years of age will be required to use a car seat
> 
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4781511.stm



Thanks for that Sherlock .


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## Crugers (18 Sep 2006)

hjrdee said:


> So if I get a taxi to the airport when I go on holiday then I should provide the Taxidriver with a childseat?


Don't be silly, if the taxi driver needs a childseat he shouldn't be driving! 

It is your child you would be providing for, not the taxidriver. You probably provide for all your childs other needs, so why not a child seat?



hjrdee said:


> And should I bring it on holidays with me...


 
Yes, because I don't think there is any destination you could go to where the transport system, train, plane, boat or taxi will provide them for your child!
The joys of parenthood... If you want them to be safe then it is really up to you to provide the facilities....


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## Crugers (18 Sep 2006)

Whoops!


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## michaelm (19 Sep 2006)

garryks said:


> . . does his insuarance cover us still in the event of an accident?


Of course it does.  As stated previously in this thread, to expect a taxi, bus, train, tram, plane, or ferry to provide child seats is not practical; in fact it's nonsense IMHO.


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## legend99 (20 Sep 2006)

So at what stage using booster seats or not can kids legally be allowed into the front passenger seat?


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## michaelm (20 Sep 2006)

has some information on child restraints.  It seems to me that children can occupy the front passenger seat provided they are using an appropriate restraint.  Amongst other things Oasis states that 'Babies and children under 3 may not travel in a car or goods vehicle (other than a taxi) unless restrained in an appropriate child restraint.'


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## z105 (24 Oct 2008)

> A way to minimize risk to your children is to put the 1 1/2 yr old on the floor behind the passenger seat with a few toys



An even better way is to strap yourself in and hold the baby firmly _outside your seatbelt_ to avoid squasing them.


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## Bronte (24 Oct 2008)

Havealaugh said:


> An even better way is to strap yourself in and hold the baby firmly _outside your seatbelt_ to avoid squasing them.


 In the event of a crash you will automatically let the baby go and he will fly through the window.  In relation to the person who mentions other modes of transport having baby seats, I've never seen such a thing on a plane/boat/bus.  On planes babies under 2 get strapped to the adult lap belt and over two use the normal adult belt.


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## Cobalt Blue (30 Oct 2008)

What do you experienced parents out there do when you are flying with a baby? We usually get a taxi and hire a car on the other end so I wouldn't want to be without a car seat. Do you just treat the car seat as an extra piece of luggage and check it in? I presume the airlines charge for it?


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## z105 (30 Oct 2008)

> In the event of a crash you will automatically let the baby go and he will fly through the window





> A way to minimize risk to your children is to put the 1 1/2 yr old on the floor behind the passenger seat with a few toys and the 4 yr old strapped in with the lap section of the belt behind the drivers seat. It's not ideal but better than them going thru the windscreen.



The official line from the RSA is as follows according to a friend of mine - 

_As taxi drivers are not obliged to  have child restraints in their car,  it is recommended that you either hold the  child on your lap or strap them in with their own seatbelt.  You would not put  the child on the ground behind the passenger seat with no  support_.


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