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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not quite understand why children are allowed on laps in taxis

62 replies

Discopanda · 11/04/2015 13:11

Apparently there was a thread on here recently about mums taking their kids to the doctors in a taxi without a car seat. I've had a similar experience before when I've ordered a taxi to pick up older kids that I've been babysitting, requested a car seat for DD and it's turned up without one. Surely a taxi is just as likely to have a car crash as any other car? It wouldn't cost that much for taxi stations to keep a couple of seats in case they are requested.

OP posts:
LetticeKnollys · 11/04/2015 19:47

One occasion springs to mind when I was out with DC intending to get the bus back and had a bag stolen with my money in. We got a taxi back and I went inside to get cash for the driver. We would have just been stranded miles from home if we had been expected to have car seats, because I couldn't have realistically anticipated that I would need one.

When I was fitting DS's infant carrier into a taxi more recently, the driver chatted to me about how he wasn't allowed to help fit the seat for liability reasons, in case there was a crash and the seat wasn't fitted properly.

KeturahLee · 11/04/2015 19:48

I've had to go to urgent care with a sick baby, no car and wasn't going to take her on the bus. Hardly an ambulance job.

KeturahLee · 11/04/2015 19:51

I've also had to take a taxi when a delayed train means we've got back too late for the bus.

And once when I've been out with the kids and realised I'd forgotten an appointment - only just made it with a taxi.

And many occasions of just going somewhere by train and having a take a taxi at the other end, and not being able to cart a massive car seat with me along with bags, child and pushchair.

Silverdaisy · 11/04/2015 19:52

birdsgottafly that is interesting. Did a particular agency come out and do the safety checks on the work car seats?

cheminotte · 11/04/2015 19:54

I used to regularly get a taxi home from the childminders when dc1 was about 2 1/2 and I was pregnant with dc2. We got a bus there but were both too tired for the extra walking for the return journey. I used to have him on my lap but someone told me it was actually safer for him to have his own seatbelt as I may not hold onto him in a crash and the seatbelt could cut into him. Some taxis had a built in booster in the middle seat that pulled down. Have taken many taxis since then as we only had one car when I was on mat leave so trips to doctor were by taxi. You can always bring your own booster seat with you. Worst thing about taxis ime is the driver leaving before all seatbelts are done up.

mrsfuzzy · 11/04/2015 19:55

health and safety would have a field day if taxis had to use car seats.

daffsandtulips · 11/04/2015 19:56

Are you for real? The taxi firm now has to carry car seats, ok Grin

shouldnthavesaid · 11/04/2015 20:02

I admit I'm slightly paranoid about the whole thing having seen what rtas can do to adults that are strapped in . I'm not sure what I'd do in the above scenarios. Difficult.

dixiechick1975 · 11/04/2015 20:12

It is an exception as I can't see a workable alternative. How would taxi driver determine which seat was suitable ? Would you order a taxi and a seat for a 22 month old or for a 10kg child. What if you don't know the child's weight. What if your child is much bigger or smaller making the usual choice for that age unsafe. If there was a crash who would be negligent if wrong seat used - adult with child or taxi driver? Responsibility is normally on the driver to ensure correct seat used.
I'm thinking of Williams case in court of appeal a couple of years ago where mum was partly negligent for choosing to put 3 year old in a booster when she was too light not a car seat.

ThatBloodyWoman · 11/04/2015 20:16

Some children have school taxis,so go in a taxi twice a day,without boosters.

westcountrywoman · 11/04/2015 20:25

Besides the practical issue of how to store them and keep them undamaged, I think the main issue is to do with culpability. If there was an accident and the child was injured, the taxi firm could be held liable if it turned out the seat wasn't correctly installed etc. With so many different models out there, it would be difficult to assume that the parents know how to correctly fit and use the seats, thus a big responsibility for the driver. Also, properly fitting a car seat is time consuming and taxis have quick turnarounds. Adjusting straps / headrests would take too long for each child using the seat.

westcountrywoman · 11/04/2015 20:28

I remember back in the late 90s our local bus company (Western National in Cornwall) used to have car seats fitted on some of the buses. They were Britax ones that were sort of clamped onto the frame of what used to be the luggage rack, behind the passenger door. They were removed after a year or two because they were dangerous if the straps weren't correctly adjusted for each child (it was a birth - 4 yrs type seat so quite a size range), and it was too fiddly for each passenger using it to adjust.

Plateofcrumbs · 11/04/2015 20:28

A line has to be drawn somewhere between what is safest and what's reasonable and practical. As others have pointed out it's completely unworkable for taxis to carry a range if infant car seats, and there are always going to be occasional scenarios where children have to travel in taxis where carrying a car seat would have been impractical or the journey was unforeseen.

daffsandtulips · 11/04/2015 20:39

Im not sure why people are not responsible for their own children these days and expect everything to revolve round them? Having children does change things. It does make some things a bit impossible for a short period of time. To expect everything to revolve around this is madness.

MinesAPintOfTea · 11/04/2015 20:50

The law is definitely a balance if what is practicable.

I've put ds (a large 2yo) on a standard booster cushion and been grateful the taxi driver had it in the past.

BertieBotts · 11/04/2015 21:12

It's just practical reasons.

Of course a taxi isn't more immune to crashing than another car, but taxi usage is by its nature occasional, so statistically, over your lifetime you're probably more likely to experience a crash in a private car than you are in a taxi.

Then all of the aforementioned things about the drivers being unqualified to fit seats, not knowing what size seat to use, storage problems, if it was rattling around in a boot it could get damaged.

It's not a perfect solution at all but it's necessary. If you're planning the journey in advance and have the means to, a parent can always provide their own car seat, and that works just fine.

The reason for 0-3 being able to travel without a seatbelt is that seatbelts are only designed to work on 3+ year olds (even most 3 year olds are far too small). Taxis are exempt from newer legislation - the older legislation said that 0-3 year olds must use a child restraint if available, if unavailable then they could travel unrestrained. It's meaningless to have a law saying you should strap a baby into a seatbelt - how would you even do it?? Safer to hold them, as that will stop them rolling and climbing around in the car. If you did crash they'd have no chance, but a seatbelt wouldn't protect them either.

I believe the parents who put the buggy car seat into the boot may have been breaking the law as if a suitable child restraint is available in a taxi, it must be used. But perhaps it was unsuitable - baby was too heavy for the weight limit, the car seat had been damaged, or something like that.

feckitall · 11/04/2015 21:55

^Thatbloodywoman*
20 odd years ago DC went to school in a provided taxi..they provided seats/boosters for DC. they also gave DC Xmas presents and Easter eggs!! DC were very impressed!!

feckitall · 11/04/2015 21:56

bold failure!! Grin

ThatBloodyWoman · 11/04/2015 21:58

That is unusual feckitall especially the bit about the easter eggs!

feckitall · 11/04/2015 22:05
Grin They were really nice!! A small family Taxi firm..

Before that it was a coach and more than once the driver carried a sleeping DC up the lane to our house...we were last drop off and they pulled up at the end of the lane 150 yds away from the house..
I think we were somewhat spoilt...

ThatBloodyWoman · 11/04/2015 22:09

I often used to have to carry dd down the track from the school bus when she was in reception.
The bigger kids used to look out for her,and collect her bag and bits together for me.
Makes me go all misty eyed to think of it feck.

feckitall · 11/04/2015 22:23

[Grin]

ThatBloodyWoman · 11/04/2015 22:26

Thanks feck

littlejohnnydory · 12/04/2015 10:00

Four children, two in boosters, two in proper car seats. I just wouldn't do it. There will always be another way, even if it involves a lot of effort. I just wouldn't see it as an option to take them in a car unrestrained. I may do with the two in boosters in an emergency but not the toddler and baby.

Kakaka · 12/04/2015 10:27

I once booked an airport taxi with a car seat for a two year old and they turned up without for a 50 minute motorway drive. Their response 'it's legal, what's the problem?'

I was bloody livid and we ended up driving our own car and being really late. Plus paying car parking fees. I can understand why taxi's can't carry seats all the time but some companies just use it as a get out.

You can't always carry a car seat around your destination and some airlines charge a fortune. I think KLM wanted 60 euros for each leg of our trip back to NZ- so that would have been 240 euro's in total! (On top of the ticket which was 1,200 GBP).