Rules for transporting children in a taxi

In accordance with the rules of the road, the rules for transporting children in taxis require that a child under the age of 7 years must be transported in a car in a special restraint. The only exception is the front seat of the car, on it - up to 12 years. This rule is known to all parents, therefore, if the family has a car, a car seat must also be purchased.

However, when it comes to taxi rides, there can be a problem with having a restraint in the car. So let's find out - is it possible to transport a child in a taxi without a car seat? What to do if there is no restraint in the taxi? Who in this case should pay the fine for not having a car seat in the car: the taxi driver or the passenger? These and many other questions concern all parents. In this article, we will provide answers to them.

Rules for transporting children in a taxi: is it necessary in a car seat?

The procedure for transporting children in vehicles is prescribed in the Rules of the Road, which are approved by the government decree “On the Rules of the Road”.

rules for transporting children in a taxi

These traffic rules apply to absolutely all vehicles - in a taxi, as in any other car - a child under 12 years old in the front seat and up to 7 years old in the back seat must be fastened in a car seat. There is a fine for violating this rule.

But as we all know, most taxi cars are not equipped with child car seats, and this is the main problem. No one can prevent parents from using their own child car seat. But it is obvious that it is quite difficult to transfer and install it in a new car every time. The only exception is infant carriers equipped with a special handle and a booster. In this situation, parents have to either accept the risk of carrying the child in their arms, or try to find a free car with a car seat in numerous taxi services.

Rules for transporting children in a taxi depending on age

For different age groups of children, there are different requirements and nuances of the rules for transporting children in a taxi and in a car in general. Age groups are divided into:

1. Babies up to a year
2. Little Children 1 to 7 years old
3. Children from 7 to 11
4. Adult children Children over 12 years old

Infants under 1 year old

Child in a taxi under 1 year old

In the first months of a newborn's life - for his transportation, you need to use an infant carrier marked "0". The child in it can lie in a completely horizontal position and is held by special belts. This device is placed sideways - perpendicular to the direction of movement in the rear seat. It is also possible to transport a child in the front seat, but at the same time, he must lie with his back to the direction of travel.

Children from 1 to 7 years old

Child in a taxi from 1 to 7 years

A passenger between the ages of 1 and 7 must be in a car in a child car seat or other type of child restraint. Any restraint must necessarily be appropriate for the height and weight of the child, both in the front seat of the car and in the back. If up to 1 year old the baby should be located with his back to the direction of movement, then over a year old - face.

Children from 7 to 11

Child in a taxi from 7 to 11 years

Children aged 7 to 12 can be transported in the back seat of a car not only in child car seats facing in the direction of travel, but also using a standard seat belt (only if the child is over 150 cm tall). At the same time, a minor child must be placed in a special device in the front seat of a car. If a child who is not yet 12 years old and taller than 150 centimeters and weighing more than 36 kilograms is fastened in the back seat with regular seat belts, this does not violate the rules prescribed in the traffic rules.

Children from 12 years old

Children from 12 years old in a taxi

After the child is 12 years old, a child seat is not required for the child. But if the student is below 150 cm, then you still need to use a car seat. In this case, it is worth paying attention to weight. A child can be seated if they weigh at least 36 kilograms. A child 12 years of age or older, and of the REQUIRED height, may ride in the front seat without SPECIAL restraints, wearing only adult seat belts.

Who should pay the fine: the passenger or the taxi driver?

The rules for transporting children in a taxi state that the taxi service provides a service for transporting passengers. By law, it must provide such a service in full compliance with the law and SDA. As we found out, the traffic rules require the presence of a restraint in the car for children under 7 years old. This means that the driver must provide a restraint for the small passenger. At the same time Fine for non-compliance with traffic rules lays down on himtaxi driver).

There is also a downside to this issue. It will be easier for a taxi driver to refuse a trip than to take the risk of being fined. Therefore, quite often parents have to agree with the taxi driver that “in which case” they will take responsibility for paying the fine. But the main thing should always be the safety of the young passenger, since it is forbidden to carry him in your arms for a reason.

Why can't you carry a child in your arms in a taxi?

If the collision occurs at a low speed (50-60 km / h), the weight of the child due to the speed, under the force of inertia, increases many times. Thus, on the hands of an adult who holds a child, the load falls on a mass of 300 kg. No adult can physically hold and protect a child. As a result, the child runs the risk of simply flying forward through the windshield.

When will our taxis have car seats?

To resolve this issue, a legislative act is needed, which will oblige to equip all taxi cars with child car seats. Or, at least, obliges taxi services to have a sufficient number of them available. Separately, it is worth noting the responsibility and control on the part of the authorities.

And how do taxi drivers themselves look at this issue? From their point of view, there are several reasons why it is impossible to constantly carry a car seat in a car:

• In the back seat, it takes up a whole lot of space, and this reduces the capacity of the car for adult passengers.
• Is it possible to store the car seat in the trunk? Theoretically, perhaps, but we know that taxis are often called by passengers with luggage to travel to the train station or airport. And, if the trunk is occupied by a car seat, bags and suitcases will not fit there.
• Another important aspect is that there is no universal car seat for children of all ages, and it is simply impossible to carry several restraints in the trunk with you.

After the release of the law regulating the transportation of children under 7 years old in the back seat and up to 12 in the front seat, many taxi companies purchased car seats and boosters, but no one was able to supply all cars with car seats - it is very expensive. Transferring a car seat from car to car as needed is inconvenient. Therefore, when ordering a taxi with a car seat, we still rely on our luck.

Can adapters and frameless car seats help?

The rules for transporting children in taxis state that the use of frameless restraints or adapters is prohibited by law. The reason for this is that frameless restraints and adapters cannot provide the young passenger with the necessary level of safety in the event of an accident on the road.

Rules for the travel of a minor in an unaccompanied taxi

In the current version of the SDA, there is not much information about the possibilities for a minor child to travel by car without an adult. However, it is obvious that transporting children by taxi without parents is not prohibited by law. 

Age restrictions - Rules for transporting children in a taxi

The demand for the service "Children's Taxi" is increasing from year to year. It is convenient for parents that they do not need to spend time constantly accompanying their children, for example, to study or sports sections. The legislation of our country sets age limits. It is forbidden to send a baby alone in a taxi if he is under 7 years old. At the same time, most taxi services are not ready to take responsibility and transport infants unaccompanied by adults.

Taxi driver duties and responsibilities

The public contract between the carrier (driver and service) and the passenger specifies all the rights and obligations of the driver. After signing the agreement, the driver takes responsibility for the life and health of the little passenger who will be in the car without adults. The main responsibilities of a driver include:

• Passenger life and health insurance;
• Mandatory medical examination of a taxi driver before entering the line;
• MANDATORY daily vehicle inspection.

These clauses are mandatory in the agreement between the passenger and the carrier. If the car gets into an accident, the driver will be held criminally liable.

Possible fines - Rules for transporting children in a taxi

The carrier company is required to provide any minor passenger with a restraint device that will be legally appropriate for their age and build (height and weight). Transportation of children without a special device is prohibited by applicable law. For the driver, in case of violation of traffic rules, administrative responsibility is provided. The amount of fines depends on who exactly is the driver (Individual / Legal entity / Official).

The taxi driver belongs to the category of legal entities. In case of violation of the rules for transporting young passengers, they are charged with a maximum fine.

How to send a child to a taxi without parents?

Every parent cares about the safety of their children. The choice of carrier must be approached as responsibly as possible. Some taxi services offer their customers the service "Car nanny". Drivers have experience in dealing with underage passengers, they will carefully and comfortably deliver them to the specified address.

Carriage in a seat in the front seat, airbag requirements

Traffic rules prohibit the transportation of minors in a taxi in the front seat, using special devices, if this seat is equipped with an airbag. It is allowed to transport children in a car seat, provided that the frontal airbag is disabled and the special device is suitable for the size of the child.

Portrait of little baby boy sitting in car at safety seat

What is a child restraint and what are they

There are three types of child restraints that are most popular in the world. This is a cradle, a child seat and a booster.

Cradle made for the transport of infants in the car in a supine position. Buster - This is a kind of seat without a back, providing a higher fit for the child and the ability to fasten him with a seat belt.

The cradles and chairs for the carriage of minors are equipped with belts that fix the body of a young passenger in the manner specified in the instructions.

Armchairs for older children and boosters are not equipped with their own belts. The child is fixed with a regular car seat belt (according to the instructions attached to each such device).

Child restraints of all types are attached to the car seat either with standard seat belts or with Isofix system locks. In 2022, any child seat must comply with the ECE 44 standard.

Compliance of the child seat with safety standards is checked by a series of crash tests that simulate impacts during emergency braking or an accident.

The chair, which complies with ECE 129 standards, is tested not only with a frontal impact, but also with a side one. In addition, the new standard requires the car seat to be fixed exclusively with Isofix.

In this article you will find all the rules and instructions for the correct and safe installation of a child car seat and other restraints in a car!

Hack and predictor Aviator

Once again, we will focus on those who have forgotten or for some reason do not know yet:

It is strictly forbidden to transport children under the age of 7 without a special child seat in the car. Otherwise, the ordinary driver faces a fine for this. Taxi drivers face criminal liability for this violation. 

Transportation of children without a seat in a taxi - what threatens?