I've often wondered, but never taken the time to research the question: does a child need to be in a car seat while riding in a bus? What about a taxi?
Turns out, Virginia law is pretty clear about the this:
§ 46.2-1095. Child restraint devices required when transporting certain children; safety belts for passengers less than eighteen years old required; penalty.
A. Any person who drives on the highways of Virginia any motor vehicle manufactured after January 1, 1968, shall ensure that any child, up to age eight, whom he transports therein is provided with and properly secured in a child restraint device of a type which meets the standards adopted by the United States Department of Transportation.
(The above quote is trimmed slightly - you can read the entire law here)
The above should come as no surprise, right?
Now, here for the kicker:
E. Nothing in this section shall apply to taxicabs, school buses, executive sedans, or limousines.
Apparently, by law, you don't need to have your child in a car seat while they are in a taxi, bus or executive sedan.
If I squint, I can kind of see why a bus may be OK to not have a child in a car seat (it's a different kind of vehicle than a car; often going slower; and we don't use seatbelts while riding in them.). But not using a car seat in a taxicab? That seems just seems wrong.
Guess this is a case where the law is more lenient than you'd expect. Or maybe the powerful taxicab lobby is at work here? Who knows.
More info on the topic here.
funny, I was wondering the same thing the other day. I was dropping Lauren off at her client site when I noticed the lady in the cab in front of me removing a carseat from the cab. So now the question in my mind is if it is a law in DC?... ah too many jurisdictions to keep track of.
ReplyDeleteWe actually took a cab home from Dullas once and the cabbie was shocked to see us using a car seat. Apparently, he'd never had a rider use one.
ReplyDeleteGuess this is one place where the law is more lenient than I am...