Public transit with babies?

[Mom2Connor]

We don't really have much of a public transit system in our city, outside of the inner city which we don't live near. Just curious what the laws are pertaining to traveling with a baby/toddler (lets say newborn to 2 y/o) on:

-City bus
-Taxi
-Shuttle for areas that have it
-Subway/metro
-Train (such as the trains in Chicago, not a long term trip like state to state)

etc?

[Computermama]

Originally Posted by Mom2Connor We don't really have much of a public transit system in our city, outside of the inner city which we don't live near. Just curious what the laws are pertaining to traveling with a baby/toddler (lets say newborn to 2 y/o) on: -City bus -Taxi -Shuttle for areas that have it -Subway/metro -Train (such as the trains in Chicago, not a long term trip like state to state) etc?

Probably varies by state. I know here taxis and city busses are exempt from car seat laws. Doesn't mean that it's not still safer, you're just not required to use them.

[monica-m]

Public transportation is VERY safe. I have no qualms about riding a bus with DS unrestrained. Same goes for trains/subways.

It may not be required by law for a child to be in a car seat in a taxi but the child would be no safer than they would in your car unrestrained. As far as shuttle vans, I would use a CR on a forward facing seat.

[SuperSox]

I ride the bus with my 9 month old in my arms a couple of times a week and feel quite safe!

[Mom2Connor]

Unfortunately, a lot of people feel very safe in situations that aren't safe at all. I've seen some horrific bus accidents and if someone was holding a baby it certainly wouldn't be likely to survive a bad accident. Mostly I was curious about the laws, but thank you for the input thus far.

[monica-m]

Um, I'm a tech and this was covered in the course. Public transportation is safe. Because of the mass of the bus, it's almost always going to win. Buses are large and hard to miss, they are involved in accidents far less frequently than cars. Buses are statistically way safer than your car.

As far as laws, there are none that address babies on public transit as far as I know.

[Mom2Connor]

I understand that statistically they are safer than cars, but this to me sounds like the argument many use for turning their babies early. They feel safe doing so, because statistically MOST babies aren't going to be injured in a car accident.

I was just asking about the laws pertaining to this. DH is a police officer and wasn't even sure when it came to public transit.

[3 ladybugs]

My son has been in all without a restraint device (including a state to state train). I am normally fairly anal about this sort of thing but I didn't think twice about it.

I could be off about this but I almost feel like you have a better chance of being struck by lightening then something happening on something like this (depending on how often you take a taxi).

[monica-m]

Here is a blog post by The Car Seat Lady about how dangerous it is to have unrestrained passengers in a taxi. It's really no safer than having unrestrained passengers in your own vehicle.

Here is what she has to say about public transit.

Originally Posted by 3 ladybugs I could be off about this but I almost feel like you have a better chance of being struck by lightening then something happening on something like this (depending on how often you take a taxi).

That is absolutely false. You are just as likely to be in an accident in a taxi as you are in any other vehicle and taxis are no safer than any other car. Every rider must be restrained or no one is safe.

[mmmommy]

I have my own vehicle and do not usually use public transit, but have used a taxi in a few instances and have always brought and used my child's carseat. Even when she rode in an ambulance (I was the patient, not her), the ambulance medics removed the seat from my vehicle and installed it in theirs.