Leaving hospital when I don't own a car - the car seat law

[schroedingersdodo]

I've been hammered by MWs and in the antenatal classes that I NEED to leave hospital after birth with my baby in a car seat. However, I don't own a car and I don't want to buy a car seat!

I keep thinking that it is not feasible that everybody in London has a car or pays for cabs to leave the hospital. So, it sounds a bit ludicrous to demand a car seat from every single new parent (seriously, I'm sure some people go home by public transport?).

It's a 0.9-mile drive from the hospital to my house that will take 4 minutes (according to Google maps), and although I'd be happy to hire a cab with a car seat, I've heard that usually they turn up with seats inadequate for newborns.

I'm trying to find out what exactly is written in the law, but all I could find was this: www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm#under3

"Exceptions to the rules

In limited circumstances, children can travel without the correct child restraint.

1. In a licensed taxi or licensed private hire vehicle. If the correct child restraint is not available then, in the rear seat only, children under 3 may travel unrestrained. Children aged 3 years and over must use an adult seat belt."
   
   Does anyone know where I can get the complete text of the law? It appears to me that in this case the law allows me to take my baby in the carrycot in a taxi?
   
   BTW, I'm still not sure what to do, and I definitely don't want to travel with him on my lap (I'm not doing anything risky, no need to worry!). I really don't want to buy a seat as I rarely use cars and my flat is tiny! If this whole things gets too annoying I might end up walking him the 0.7 miles home! (not that I want to do that...)
   
   BTW(2), I'm having the baby at the Royal Free (London NW3), so advice from anyone with a similar experience or who knows a taxi company with decent car seats in the area will be most welcome!

[PardonMyClench]

Schroedinger I think you can do the 'contact poster' thing . If it doesn't work post back on the thread. You are welcome to keep the seat if you wish. My baby days are done.

[alurkerspeaks]

Are you saying that in the next 9months of your babies life you will never ever get in a car or a taxi? Or in the first 9 months of any subsequent babies life?

I have lots of friends who live in London without a car (it is after all that kind of place). They all have carseats though for cab journeys, hire car weekends or trips out with people who have cars.

Seriously I think it is probably worth buying one.

[alurkerspeaks]

Sorry have just read the whole thread now.

It makes life simpler if you have a carseat from day 1 (says the girl who drove friend and her first baby to the emergency doctor on day 5 of his life).

This would have been very difficult if they hadn't had their own car seat and would have significantly upped the anxiety.

What car seat sits on the stokke chassis? This is a really useful function (esp in London if you are using cabs as you don't want to have to carry the car seat when you get to your destination).

[schroedingersdodo]

alurkerspeaks yes, the comments I read here ended up convincing me that having a car seat at home won't be as useless as I thought at first. So I guess, I'm giving up and bringing one more bulky thing to my life

[schroedingersdodo]

And just to answer your question, I don't think any car seat will fit the stokke chassis, but they sell adaptors so I can do what you suggested.

[IMoveTheStars]

shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=Group+0+carseat&_sacat=See-All-Categories

OP - have a look on ebay, you can probably get a second-hand on for hardly anything.

[Ripeberry]

You take a taxi, baby gets pushed home in a pram/pushchair. Not worth all this faffing around for less than a mile.

[PardonMyClench]

Schroedinger - e-mail me on colleyecrawford at aol.com re: carseat if you want.

[Kgibbs17]

Wouldn't it be easier to get a free suitable car seat off market place and after use pass it on to someone else or give to a charity shop

[mummyh2016]

@Kgibbs17

Wouldn't it be easier to get a free suitable car seat off market place and after use pass it on to someone else or give to a charity shop

This thread is 11 years old.

[DropYourSword]

@Kgibbs17

Wouldn't it be easier to get a free suitable car seat off market place and after use pass it on to someone else or give to a charity shop

Pretty sure she’s figured it out by now and isn’t still hanging around in the hospital 11 years later!

[Annaghgloor]

We took the Overground home after I had DS (NE London) — no one had an issue with us leaving with DS in a sling. We only bought a car seat a year later when we bought a car, having moved away from London — we would have had zero use for it before then.

[Northernsoullover]

@Kgibbs17

Wouldn't it be easier to get a free suitable car seat off market place and after use pass it on to someone else or give to a charity shop

Well, possibly but at 11 the 'baby' probably gets the tube by itself now.

[KiloWhat]

Zombie 🧟‍♀️ 🧟‍♂️ 🧟‍♀️ 🧟‍♂️

[BuffyFanForever]

Back of a black cab in a sling or pram is completely legal. Not so for Uber etc all the NW London hospitals have taxi ranks, just jump in a black cab. You’re unlikely to want to walk a mile after just giving birth with all your stuff etc anyway

[Isonthecase]

Have you already bought the pram carrycot? I know Jane do some that are car seats and carrycots so potential space saver and a good option if you need to go in a car again while the baby is young. You can buy the pushchairs in good nick second hand which balances out the cost of the (expensive) car seat and there might be some in the sales.

[Frazzled2207]

Get dh to walk with the pram and you get a taxi.

They cannot complain about that.
However if you ever use taxis at all I would try and get hold of a second hand baby car seat. People will scream at you that you can’t trust a second hand car seat but a second hand car seat will be a thousand times safer than no car seat at all, which is perfectly legal in a taxi.

[Isonthecase]

Oh dear, zombie thread!!

[Tibtab]

I took baby out of the hospital in a pram as we only had a car seat that was fixed in the car.

[Tomlettegregg]

Car seats are not a useful place to put babies while you shower or otherwise get things done in my experience. Mine hates hers and has since birth. She feels constrained. I get that you don't want stuff but I guarantee you will be desperate for anything that settles her. Bouncers are a godsend for many if baby doesn't take to the sling.