travelling in a taxi with a newborn
- 04-16-2010, 01:36 PM #1Registered User
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travelling in a taxi with a newborn
We don't have a car and we are expecting our newborn in July. My husband and I are wondering if we should get a carseat as we will be travelling in cabs with the newborn everywhere we go. But my cousin (from Hong Kong)says we could simply get a baby sling ...and i doubt that's safe enough in case of any unfortunate accident.
What do you guys think? and is it easy to mount a carseat in a taxi here in Hong Kong? Any particular brand that you will recommend?
- 04-16-2010, 02:34 PM #2
no, it is not easy to mount a carseat in a taxi... you need a carseat that straps in and doesn't mount into the car...
most people take the chance and just use a sling. personally, i didn't take taxis too often or too far when my kids were little. much prefer having our own cheap second-hand car and getting proper carseats for the kids.
- 04-16-2010, 02:51 PM #3Registered User
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Get a travel system stroller that utilises a 'maxi cosi' bucket style car seat - most of the well known brands have these.
These are pretty quick to strap in and out of cars and taxis and can be used up to 9 months to 1 year (depending on the size of your baby).
They are great for newborns as you can remove the seat from the car/taxi and clip it into the stroller without taking the baby out and waking them.
Downside is that a few HK taxi seat belts are not quite long enough to thread through - I used to just wait for another taxi if it didn't work (or if in a hurry, strap it in a less safe way).
- 04-16-2010, 03:03 PM #4Registered User
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Unless your stroller comes with a car seat attachment - i would stick with a sling / carrier. A car seat is heavy and a pain. A sling will be attached to you - so make sure that you are seat belted up and you will be fine :)
- 04-16-2010, 03:19 PM #5Registered User
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I would recommend a maxi cosi for when the baby is little and then a Sit n Stroll type car seat converting to a stroller. I also saw Bumps 2 Babes advertising a luggage rack type attachment that you can use with any car seat.
I did use the Baby Bjorn in taxis sometimes but never felt safe doing it. In my home country this would be illegal and, for me, I couldn't rationalise that it was any safer on HK roads than anywhere else ... its just that HK hadn't passed a law against it yet like other countries have!
- 04-17-2010, 07:33 AM #6Registered User
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I used a maxi cosi seat which clipped onto the stroller wheels up until 7 months when my son grew out of it. It was great as he loved sleeping in the seat as well. He is now nearly one and I have just bought a Joeysafe harness and we also have a sit n'stroll for when we travel overseas. I agree with other posters that a baby sling is really not a safe option and would be illegal in a lot of countries.
- 04-17-2010, 09:22 AM #7Registered User
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A sling is a very dangerous option - even in a relatively mild crash (say, your taxi fails to brake in time and slams into the back of a stationary vehicle) at a relatively low speed (10-20 km/h), the force of your body moving forward could cause serious injury to the baby (G-force will increase your body weight exponentially). I was in a taxi once that failed to brake in time and slammed into a stationary car at a medium speed (approx 30-40km/h). Luckily I was wearing a seatbelt. But my body jackknifed forward (and if I'd been wearing a sling I'd have crushed the baby to death) and then slammed back. I was in physio for serious whiplash injuries for months and still feel the effects 10yrs later.
People justify slings by saying HK taxis don't go too fast (as there aren't many expressways), but the speed of the crash only needs to be about 30km/h for serious injury to occur.
Also people say the journeys are short (therefore less likelihood of a crash). I've heard that statistics show that the majority of crashes occur within the first 5 minutes of a drive.
Honestly, this is the life of your newborn you're talking about. Just get a Maxi-Cosi Cabrio or similar seat that attaches on to various models of wheels (eg, Bugaboo, Quinny etc). Strap it in to the taxi (which takes about 20-30seconds). And keep your child safe.
If cost is an issue, buy secondhand from a reliable source (or buy new and sell on afterwards so you don't end up paying too much in the long run).
Congrats on your impending arrival, btw.
- 04-17-2010, 10:43 AM #8Registered User
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I got the peg perego travel system. It came with a car seat, a bassinet and the stroller frame. I would remove the car seat and strap it in the taxi then fold the frame. It does take a minute to get the straps on and off but I have found taxi drivers to be patient with me and helpful with putting the stroller into the boot while I secured the car seat.
I just believe that its safer and I would have peace of mind knowing that my baby is secure in the taxi should anything hapen.
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