Toddlers and car seats?

[brightspark]

Hi, we are visiting WDW in January and ds will be 18 months. If we use a taxi, or hire a car, what happens about car seats? We are not planning on taking one... does this mean that we will not be able to do any travel by car? Do taxis have carseats available???

Thanks

 

[Bren's Mom]

You must use a car seat in a car. No exceptions. I think some cab companies have seats that you can use, but you might have to make prior arrangements (i.e. tell them when you call).

Are you flying to Florida? It is safest and most comfortable for your child to have a car seat on the plane. And then you'd have it available to you for the remainder of the trip.

 

[brightspark]

Thanks Bren's mum! Can we use any car seat on a plane? DS is in a Maxi Cosy Tobi... he is happy sleeping in it so would be a BIG bonus to us if we could use it on the flight... we are flying with Virgin...

 

[Bren's Mom]

Check with Virgin to confirm about your particular flight from the UK, and about your particular seat. US seats have an 'approved for aircraft' sticker on them, UK seats might say something else. Someone should be able to tell you what to look for. But my guess is that your Maxi Cosi seat is likely to be approved and that you are likely to be able to use it on your flight, if you've purchased a seat OR if there is space available depending on Virgin's rules. Definitely check with them.

 

[AKADrea]

I thought carseats weren't required in taxis, like buses, most public transportation - so you have to decide what kind of risks you want to take. We did catch one cab home from DHS one night because the bus lines were SO long and none of my 3 kids were in a carseat. It's not something I would do on a normal basis....

 

[Derby]

I thought carseats weren't required in taxis, like buses, most public transportation - so you have to decide what kind of risks you want to take. We did catch one cab home from DHS one night because the bus lines were SO long and none of my 3 kids were in a carseat. It's not something I would do on a normal basis....

I know they aren't in NYC, but I don't know if that applies everywhere or just there.

 

[Bren's Mom]

NY State's car seat law exempts cabs.

Florida's does not.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes.../SEC613.HTM&Title=->2001->CH0316->Section 613

316.613 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.
...snip...
(2) As used in this section, the term "motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle as defined in s. 316.003 that is operated on the roadways, streets, and highways of the state. The term does not include: "

The exceptions listed do not include a taxi cab.

And if you click the link to 316.003 motor vehicle is defined as:

"(21) MOTOR VEHICLE.--Any self-propelled vehicle not operated upon rails or guideway, but not including any bicycle, motorized scooter, electric personal assistive mobility device, or moped. "

So that would include a taxi cab.

If anyone is riding in a cab without a car seat, that would be a violation of the law.

But more importantly, the law of physics applies no matter where you are. A cab is as dangerous as a car because it IS a car. And most of us would not ride around in our cars without our kids properly retrained. Just because you're on vacation at Disney doesn't mean that changes.

Buses are different. They are larger, drive slower, are statistically safer because of compartmentalization. (And even then, I'd prefer to put my kid in a car seat on a bus, it's just not possible due to no seat belts on most of them.)

Coleen
CPST

 

[tartemis]

I know they aren't in NYC, but I don't know if that applies everywhere or just there.

They aren't required in Chicago Taxi's as well. We received bad info and thougth it was the same in Florida as well. We did take a Taxi one night from the Grand Floridian to the Boardwalk when our first DD was 6 months old -- in no car seat. The cab driver didn't say anything.

That being said, I would never do it again. I had taken short Taxi rides in downtown Chicago before without a car seat, but there is a lot of "highway-like" driving to get around the Disney World complex and it scared the living daylights out of me.

However, the reason that we love the Disney vacation is the fact that we can do it without carseats, so I wouldn't bring one. There is always a way to figure out transportation by just using buses and the monorail -- sometimes you need to do a little extra planning, but that is worth it to me to not lug around 2 carseats.

 

[whys_of_ma]

I am sorry to be a nay-sayer, but PLEASE don't ride in any car anywhere without a car seat for your baby. An accident can happen in the first 30 seconds of a car ride.

 

[brightspark]

Hi everyone! Thanks for all these replies. We won't take the carseat, and will stick to bus and monorail transport! The thought of taking DS in a car without a seat frightens me, and I'm not prepared to take that risk!

Thanks for the advice

 

[miprender]

On two seperate trips the taxi's from the park to our resort had no car seats. So I don't think it is a law in Florida either, or they do not follow it.

I know accidents can happen anywhere and this is not something I would do on a normal situation, but you are kind of stuck no matter what. That is why we prefer to rent a car when we go now. No hassle with the bus or taxi's.