After talking about traveling with children is not always easy, the issue of child restraint systems and their use in destinations has come up in the comments. But, without going so far, what happens when we simply take a taxi in our city? Traveling with children by taxi, should they go with a restraint system?
What the legislation says is one thing, but what health professionals recommend is a different one. That is why we are going to see how the issue is in Spain and how the Spanish Association of Pediatrics emphasizes the risk of less protection of the child in the case of taxi transportation.
Traveling with children by taxi: what the norm says
Recall that a large percentage of children who die on the road are not subject to an SRI. It is shown that the use of child restraint elements appropriate to the age and weight of the child reduces mortality in the event of a traffic accident between 54% and 80%, depending on the age and type of collision.
Thus, its use is mandatory and necessary on all routes, both urban and interurban, and so required by the regulations currently in force in Spain. However, this generalized use is made some points, including those referring to public transport, such as the taxi:
- National regulations exempt from the obligation to use these retention devices in taxis in people whose height does not reach 135 centimeters in height, provided that it circulates in urban traffic or in urban areas of large cities and whenever rear seats are occupied.
- In all other situations, it is mandatory that children under 135 centimeters tall travel by taxi using restraint elements appropriate to the child's age and weight. In case of infringement for not making use of the retention elements, it is not the taxi driver, but the father, guardian, welcoming or legal guardian who holds the responsibility.
However, we cannot ignore that the concepts of “urban traffic” or “big cities” have a broad interpretation, including paths where the permitted speeds exceed the safety thresholds for the child in case of an accident, comparable to an interurban route when It is mandatory for children to travel in an SRI.
Traveling with children by taxi: what the AEP says
For all this the AEP Childhood Safety and Injury Prevention Committee recommends that children traveling by taxi, especially those not 135 centimeters tall, observe the following precautions:
- Always make use of restraint elements appropriate to the age and weight of the child, both for urban and inter-city journeys.
- Select, as far as possible, taxis that have these elements. If the taxi service is requested by telephone, require that it be a vehicle equipped with such devices.
- In case of using the vehicle seat belt, for example in children with a size greater than or equal to 135 centimeters, it must be ensured that the belt is correctly placed, not crossing the child's neck and keeping the pelvic band on the root of The thighs of the child.
- Always use approved retention devices, as it should appear on the visible label of the device.
- Notwithstanding the foregoing, there are some less recommended systems, although equally approved. This is the case of inflatable or inflatable chairs and lifts that, even though they are legally commercialized and can be approved, have shown worse results in crash tests in terms of child protection.
- In any case, take the children in the rear seats of the vehicle.
Remember that road transport must be safe for the whole family, also when traveling by public transport. We do not know what the legal situation will be like in other countries, but what seems clear is that there will be taxis that incorporate SRI, and we will have to ask for them.
For the safety of our children, in the event that we can provide a taxi transfer would be convenient to take our retention system or request a vehicle that includes it, whether it is a journey through the city or longer.
