We buckle up our kids in our own vehicles, have them wear lifejackets on boats and make sure they are donning helmets while riding bikes, but what safety precautions do we exercise when traveling with children in taxi cabs?
No parent wants to skimp on safety, but there are many of us who don’t plan well enough for family vacations and are left compromising our children’s well-being as a result. For example, the state of Illinois recently unveiled a new safety campaign that reminds parents that taxis are vehicles too, and holding a child on their lap is against the law. The same rules that apply in your own vehicle in regards to buckling up your children are mandated for travel in taxis too.
So let’s say you are visiting Chicago and want to travel via taxi with your children from your hotel on Wacker Street to the Shedd Aquarium a few miles away. According to city officials, you must bring along individual car seats (or booster seats) to secure each child (provided he or she is under 80 pounds and under 4’9” tall). For infants, transportation officials suggest parents use travel systems, where infant seats can be removed from the base of a stroller and strapped to the backseat of a cab and the stroller portion stored in the taxi’s trunk.
Also, travel experts recommend that if you are flying with a child under 2 years old you should consider purchasing a seat for him or her (major carriers allow children under the age of 2 to fly free when seated on a parent’s lap) so you can bring along a car seat on vacation. If you plan to rent a car seat from a company once you arrive at your destination (all car rental companies offer car seat rental options) you can opt to use the CARES child restraint on the airplane. The restraint is a FAA-approved harness-style child safety device for kids 22 to 44 pounds.
Traveling with children in the near future? Check out these blogs for helpful tips on making your next flight a smooth one:
Grandma Puts Baby Through Airport X-Ray Machine
The One Thing You DON’T Want To See On An Airplane
More Must-Have Items to Pack When Traveling with Children
Traveling With Children-Learn From My Mistakes
Flying with Children: Layover or Not?
Tips To Remember When Traveling With Children
Even More Tips To Remember When You Travel With Kids
More Tips To Remember When You Travel With Kids
Traveling With Young Children: More Dos and Don’ts
Traveling With Young Children: Dos and Don’ts
In Flight Diaper Changing Etiquette
Are Airlines Becoming More Family Friendly?