Do we need car seats in a taxi?

[HHMcG]

We will be using Disney transportation. I know that car seats are not required on the buses. (It freaks me out but studies reassure me that buses are safer.) However one night we will be returning to All Star Music from a dinner at Animal Kingdom Lodge. I know the buses will take an hour+ since we will need to take a connection and it will be late. Normally we would just hop in a cab for the 10 min trip. We will be with out 6 year old, 4 year old and infant. I'm not worried about the 6 & 4 year olds in a taxi just using a lap seat belt. But what about the baby? By law does he need a car seat?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[fitgirl36]

I believe the baby does need a car seat. We didn't use a taxi but inquired at the front desk at the BC one day if we chose to use a taxi with our DD1 and the front desk said they can call a taxi and request a car seat. I was a little nervous if it would be installed properly so we skipped it.

Edit: we skipped using the taxi altogether not skipped using the taxi without a car seat!

 

[tjmw2727]

Florida law does not exempt taxis & towncars from the carseat law so you will have to have a carseat for the infant. The law only requires children 3 and under to be in a carseat so your older kids are legal without.

You can call in advance and have a taxi with carseats - you can ask bell services at AKL call one for you.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Request the carseat(s) but also make sure to request a van instead of a regular cab.
We are a family of 5, and more than once (at Disney, Universal and SeaWorld) the cab company wanted us to ride in a regular car with 4 in the back seat. (There are only 3 seat belts.)

 

[of2dbeach]

This is the car seat law in Florida. in part it says ..Child restraint requirements.—(1)(a) Every operator of a motor vehicle as defined herein, while transporting a child in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state, shall, if the child is 5 years of age or younger, provide for protection of the child by properly using a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint device. For children aged through 3 years, such restraint device must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer’s integrated child seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or a seat belt may be used.
here is the link I found it athttp://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.613.html
Alot of cab companies do have car seats usually in the trunks of there cars. you can ask to make sure they bring one. You can also rent them too. if you dont think they are put in properly I would adjust them myself. My husband always put his knee in the center of the car seat and pulled the seat belt as tight as he could.They dont require car seats on busses because the seat backs are higher so you dont get thrown around like in a car where you would fly over the front of the seat . I think the cab would be safer if going with an infant.from the ages of your Children it looks like you need a Booster seat for the older child and an infant seat for the baby.

 

[sarmat1]

For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or a seat belt may be used.
from the ages of your Children it looks like you need a Booster seat for the older child and an infant seat for the baby.

Actually she doesn't need a booster. See the bold above in your quote from the law. Once they are 4 or older, they can just use a seat belt. Now of course, that's the actual law, not necessarily the best thing for the child, particularly if the child is really small.

 

[QVCshopper]

I would forget the cab. Both AKL and All Stars are over the in Animal Kingdom side of DW. Make your reservation a little early so that the transportation is still running from AK to the resorts. Catch the bus from AKL to AK and then switch to the All Stars bus. I doubt it would take an hour.

 

[Tinkerbellah]

We called a cab the night before & asked for a car seat. It was fine. Let us sleep in after a busy few days of parks.

 

[tanyaandallie]

A taxi cab is no different than your vehicle at home. Regardless of the Florida law, all of your children need to be riding in a child restraint (car seat or booster) when they ride in a taxi cab. It may seem like a short ride, but the roads at Disney are not back country roads with no traffic. They are busy highways and I personally have seen many accidents. Absolutely not worth the risk with any of your children.

 

[HHMcG]

Thank you for all the information. We will make the decision that best fits us.

 

[SweetMissy]

We'll be using magical express from the airport plus the buses going back and forth to the parks and it scares me to not be using carseats, since all my kids are still in one at home. But my son rides the bus to school, so I'm used to him not being in one all the time. I have heard that if you're in a taxi, it's not the law to be in a carseat.....I have NO idea if this is true because it has never been an issue for me, so I've never looked into it. However, just because something is or isn't the law, doesn't mean it's safe. It's obviously safer for a baby/child to be in a carseat.

 

[tjmw2727]

We'll be using magical express from the airport plus the buses going back and forth to the parks and it scares me to not be using carseats, since all my kids are still in one at home. But my son rides the bus to school, so I'm used to him not being in one all the time. I have heard that if you're in a taxi, it's not the law to be in a carseat.....I have NO idea if this is true because it has never been an issue for me, so I've never looked into it. However, just because something is or isn't the law, doesn't mean it's safe. It's obviously safer for a baby/child to be in a carseat.

Some states do exempt "livery" ie -taxi's, towncar's limo's etc from the carseat laws, however FL is not one of them. If you google the FL carseat law you will see that the only exmptions are for buses.

 

[amylynne01]

Regardless of the law, we should do what is safest. That means your kids should use whatever car seats you use at home. FL laws are the most lax in the country but certainly far from best practice.

 

[Mkebound]

Do you need a carseat per the law? YES
Is a bus any safer than a car? NO
Does the law make sense? NO
Would 80% or more people in you situation just hold the kids? YES


If you do want to ensure your child is an a car seat for this short trip in a taxi, you got the best advice from a poster above: Call and reserve a taxi van, when placing the reservation tell them you need a seat. When the van arrives, take a moment to ensure the seat is installed correctly. Since you know when you are going to want the taxi it shouldn't be to hard to make sure one shows up big enough and with a seat.

 

[luvmy2babies]

And tell them you need a seat for a toddler. We took 4 cab rides while in Orlando last time as we were on a Sea World trip. I had my son's seat so I used it when we left the airport. I called us a cab to MK and told them his age. When we left MK, I just searched the herd until I found one. On the day we were going back to the airport, I wanted to leave his seat in the bag. But I had the front desk call our cab and they didn't tell them my son's age. When the taxi got there, all she had was a booster seat...a backless one. Now, I just pulled my seat out and installed it, but it would have been a real issue if I didn't have it.

 

[SweetMissy]

Does ME supply carseats if requested?

 

[amylynne01]

Does ME supply carseats if requested?

Nope. There are no seat belts on ME, so no way to even install a car seat.