After a recent visit to Worcester by Train, one of our regular customers contacted us to ask about child car seats and where we stand as Taxi Drivers and the new UK child seat laws and restrictions. Sheila Jones was refused a Worcester Taxi recently, as Sheila did not have a child car seat with her for her 2 year old daughter to sit in whilst in the Taxi.
The Cheltenham Taxi website is of the view that the Worcester Taxi driver involved was properly a bit keen when it comes to road safety, or may not have been aware of the exemptions for Children who travel via Taxi. It can be a hard shout for Taxi drivers, as they are legally responsible for ensuring children under 14 are belted up correctly whilst travelling in their Taxi.
Children are exempt from the child car seats laws whilst travelling in a taxi, as long as a certain criteria is met:
Children under 3 may sit on an adults lap in the rear of a Taxi, as long as the adult is wearing a seatbelt –the seatbelt must only be around the adult and not the baby.
Children 3 years and over may sit in the rear of a taxi using just the seatbelt, if the correct baby car seat or booster seat for the child’s age and weight is not available.
No child under the age of 13 and less than 135cm in height may travel in the front seat of a taxi.
If you are planning a Taxi journey for an advanced date, there maybe sufficient time to arrange for the correct child car seats to be available.
It would be un-reasonable to expect a Taxi to carry 8-10 different baby, child and booster seats with them, just as it would be un-reasonable for a family using public transport to carry baby car seats with them whist travelling.
Our Cheltenham Airport Taxi Service would encourage you to make use of your own baby car seats (right for your baby’s weight) we would look after your child seats whilst you are away, making them available to you on your return journey.
Disclaimer.
This is not safety advice for your children when using a Taxi service, it just our interpretation of current UK child seat legislation. If you need advice, please contact your local road safety unit at your local authority.
Tags: child car seats laws, wearing a seatbelt, return journey, Child safety, sheila jones, baby car seat, child car seatsFiled under: Every Day Life
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