Regardless of legal requirements regarding booster seat usage when renting a cab, the practical considerations are often a different kettle of fish.  For one thing, even if you are traveling with only one child, carrying a booster seat around the city can be cumbersome, to put it mildly.  For another, your taxi driver may not always be as accommodating as you had hoped.

We have been asking parents about their experiences, and this is what they advised:

• Plan your trip.  You might wish to call the taxi company beforehand to ask for a vehicle equipped with booster seats or to confirm that you will be bringing your own.
• If you are hailing a cab on the street, make sure the driver understands you need to install your booster seat before driving away, even if this is going to take a couple of extra minutes.
• Leave the cab door open when installing the seat so the driver does not drive away before you and your child are settled.
• If your driver is uncooperative, don’t hesitate to find another taxi.  Take down the vehicle number and do be sure to lodge an official complaint afterwards.
• Remember to tip the driver appropriately, especially if you received attentive service.
• If you are traveling with your own seat, don’t forget to take it with you when you get out of the cab!

What other advice do you have for taxi travel with children?

Most parents with children who have outgrown their child seat don’t think twice any more about graduating them into booster seats in the family car, but what are the legal requirements when it comes to taxis?   This is a great question, though the answer is not always as straightforward as you might think.  For some states, it’s downright difficult to track down!

We took a look at 6 large cities where taking a taxicab is commonplace.  In four of them, New York City, Baltimore, Chicago and San Francisco, the law exempts taxis from existing booster seat laws.  Technically, therefore, kids could get by with an adult seat belt.  Is this a good idea?  We don’t think so.

On the other hand, in Boston and Philadelphia, also large cities with high rates of taxi usage, the law considers taking a cab to be no different than regular passenger vehicles when it comes to child restraints.  While we welcome the intent of the law, this does not necessarily mean all cabs are equipped with appropriate booster seats.  In fact, most taxi drivers like to keep their trunks available for their passengers’ luggage, so they are unlikely to have a booster seat on hand for your child to use.

We feel that whether the law requires booster seats or not, children are likely to be safest when using their own booster seat.  That is the best – and often the quickest – way to ensure a proper fit.  Plus, you have the satisfaction of knowing the seat has not been involved in any accidents and how old it is.  For many parents, it is reassuring to know that only their child has used it.

If you live in any of these cities, what has been your experience with taxicabs?  What about other cities?

* Special thanks to Nicole Carlson (one of clek's Facebook fans) for Aiden's photo

Parents researching booster seat safety will love this resource:  the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has just released its second annual ratings of booster seats for lap and shoulder belt fit in a report recommending 9 models – clek oobr included – as “best bets” .   There are 6 “good bets” and 11 are “not recommended”.  From the press release:

A good booster routes the lap belt flat across a child’s upper thighs and positions the shoulder belt at midshoulder.  The Institute released its first booster ratings last year, evaluating 41 seats.

“Parents can’t tell a good booster from a bad one just by comparing design features and price,” says Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research. “What really matters is if the booster you’re considering correctly positions the safety belt on your 4-8 year-old in your vehicle. Our ratings make it easier to pick a safer booster for kids who have outgrown child restraints.”

The 60 boosters tested cover most models currently available in the United States, making this a must-read for everyone looking for independent comparative booster seat information.

Did you know that car booster seats can NOT be used on airplanes?   The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends that when flying, children should be securely fastened in approved child restraint systems (CRS) until they reach 40 lb.  After that, children should be secured with the airplane seat belts to help keep them safe during takeoff and landing or in case of turbulence.  Children with disabilities, even though they may be older, may also travel with special FAA-approved restraint seats.  Always check the label (like the one shown above) to ensure the seat is approved by the FAA.  There are several other types of approved label, and you can look them up on the FAA’s website.

You can also consider using a restraint made only for use on airplanes and approved by the FAA.

It might seem a little counter-intuitive that an older child may not use a car booster seat on an airplane;  however, there is a sound reason for this:

A key concern for backless booster seats used in airplane seats is the combined effect of seat back breakover and impact of an adult seated behind the child. Booster seats may expose the child occupant to potential abdominal injury due to the combined effects of these forces.

Also, you may have noticed that the placement of airplane lap belts is a little different than in vehicles.  Even when children are quite small, these belts usually rest over their thighs, not their abdomen, the area likely to suffer internal injury in motor vehicle accidents.

So what should you do if you are taking your child’s booster seat on vacation?  Well, you have several options involving checking it in, which is what the FAA recommends;  however, we also suggest you call your airline before you leave on your trip, just to be aware of any unexpected rule changes or airport limitations:

• the airlines are usually quite accommodating towards families traveling with children and they recognize that they normally have a few more necessary items than other passengers.  Usually, the baggage rules are a little more relaxed.  For example, Southwest allows two items of travel equipment (walkers, child safety seats or collapsible playpens) to be checked and transported in substitution of one piece of the free baggage allowance for each fare-paying passenger at no charge.
• some compact booster seats may be small enough to fit inside your check-in luggage, reducing some of the stuff you have to keep track of.  This can be convenient if you are traveling with several children or if you have a lot of carry-on luggage.
• in some cases, it could be more convenient to gate-check your car seat, though you will have to carry it around the airport.
• you may check in your child seat separately.  If your child uses a booster seat to get to the airport, you can carry it to the check-in counter and ask for a plastic bag to put it in.  While these bags are usually made of tough plastic and you can strengthen them further by wrapping tape around them, you should be aware that your airline will not accept any responsibility for any damage  occurring en route.  If your journey involves several stops, you can expect your seat to experience a bumpy trip.  Typically, this kind of luggage is packed on the plane with other non-standard items (e.g. bicycles, musical instruments and skis), and depending on the airport, you may have to retrieve it in a separate area from the suitcases.

Do remember that however you decide to travel, your booster seat, as well as any strollers or other child items, are well labeled with your name and contact phone number.

Bon voyage!

With the holidays coming up, many families are making travel plans.   We’ve put together a couple of pointers in case you’ve been wondering how to factor child seats into your trip:

• If you’re traveling out of state, do check the child restraint laws before you leave.  For cross-border travel using your own vehicle, the rules may be slightly different than for local residents, though you may be allowed to bring your car seat from home  – do check before you leave.   For example, in you are traveling out of the country to Canada, visitors to Ontario are told that:

You must follow Ontario’s child car seat rules if you are transporting an infant or a toddler, regardless of where your vehicle is registered.  If you are traveling in a vehicle registered in another jurisdiction, you are exempt from the booster seat requirement for the first 30 days that you are in the province.

You may use a child car seat or booster seat from your home jurisdiction if traveling in a vehicle registered in another jurisdiction.  If driving an Ontario-plated vehicle, you must use a seat that fully complies with Ontario’s child car seat laws.

• If you are traveling to a location with less regulation than where you live, please think carefully about your child’s safety.   We highly recommend you do what’s best for your child, not just the minimum required by the law.
• If you’re renting a vehicle, you may be considering bringing your own child seat with you.  Your child may be more comfortable with a familiar seat, but it can be bulky to travel with, especially if your trip involves flying to a vacation destination first.  Some people prefer to rent one when they pick up their rental vehicle.  Most rental companies provide child seats, though the price tends to add up quickly.  With the fees some companies charge, you may even find yourself paying more than the cost of a brand new seat!  If you do decide to rent, it is a good idea make an advance reservation.  Be sure to tell them your child’s age and size so they provide you with the appropriate seat.
• Another option is to rent a carseat from an independent rental company, usually for a weekly fee.  Normally they will deliver the seat to you on arrival at your destination.  This could be a more cost-efficient option if you’re planning to be away for more than a day or two.  There are rental services in many locations throughout the USA – a search on the term “carseat rental” shows there are many different providers.  One drawback of renting equipment from a third party is that it’s impossible to know for certain whether the seat has been involved in any accidents.  Use your best judgment to ensure you are dealing with a reputable provider, and accept delivery only if you feel comfortable that the seat is appropriate for your child’s needs.
• One last idea if your child is almost ready to move on to a new seat:  why not retire your old one before you leave home and purchase that new car seat you already have your eye on, immediately after your flight lands?  If you do this, you might want to research which stores have it in stock before you leave home, so you don’t waste any time before your vacation truly gets underway.

What do you normally do on vacation?  Have some great tips for other families?  We’d love to hear your tips and experiences in the comments below.

A new study of children aged 4-8 was published in the journal Injury Prevention in October, and concludes that booster seat laws are associated with a significant reduction in fatalities.  The researchers found that legislation increased the likelihood of children to be restrained at all, and that children were much more likely to be correctly restrained in a booster seat.

When the vehicle drivers used a seat belt, the odds were higher that children were correctly restrained in a booster seat.  On the other hand, children travelling with unbelted drivers were using booster seats only 1-2% of the time.

These findings came from a detailed study of all 14,571 children aged 4–8 involved in fatal frontal motor vehicle collisions in the USA between 1995 and 2005.  The data was obtained from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a database created by The National Center for Statistics and Analysis and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

FARS contains records of motor vehicle collisions in the USA that involve the fatality of either an occupant of a motor vehicle or a non-motorist, such as a pedestrian or pedal cyclist who has been struck by a motorist and are killed in the crash.

Specifically, the researchers determined that in states with a booster seat law, children were 20% less likely to die in such accidents than in states without a law.  They were almost 60% more likely to be restrained, and more than 4 times more likely to be properly restrained.

It isn’t entirely clear whether children are likely to be better restrained in the car because of the fear of being caught on the wrong side of the law, or the positive effects of all the safety messages in the media that accompany booster seat legislation.  We think it’s probably a combination of both.  But perhaps it doesn’t even matter so much anymore.  Currently only 3 US states, 3 Canadian provinces and the 3 Canadian territories remain without booster seat legislation.  Certainly for the vast majority of us in North America, the law is clear and the message is consistent:  children need to be properly restrained.  Seat belts were designed for adults, and children need booster seats to raise them up sufficiently so the seat belt fits over the bony areas of the body, namely the hips and collarbone.  Otherwise, they are at greater risk for serious injuries or death in a crash.

Researchers tell us seat belts are designed for people who are at least 4’9” (145cm) tall.  So we were wondering just how many children have grown tall enough to safely use an adult seat belt without a booster seat.  We think you will be interested to see what we found.

To get the data, we downloaded the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) growth charts.  Their site has a lot of interesting stuff to check out, but for now we are limiting ourselves to height:

What does this tell us?  Well, about half of girls reach 4 foot 9” (145cm) a little after their 11^th birthday, which is slightly ahead of the boys.  Almost 90% of children have reached this age a little before their 13^th birthday.

What may surprise many parents and what the legislators may not have realized, is that only about 3% of children have reached the safe height to relinquish their booster seat by the age of 9.

While most booster seat regulation in North America requires children to wait until they are 8 before they can legally graduate to adult seat belts, it seems the law is way more lenient than what the seat belt manufacturers are telling us is good for our children’s safety in the event of an accident.