Public Transit and Kids (who should be) in Carseats

[oncewerewise]

I have a 4 year old and I am thinking of going into the city for a baseball game. I thought that public transit would be more environmentally friendly, less expensive and fun. But, I can't use her carseat.

For those of you that use public transit, do you use the bus? Or wait until children are out of carseat range? What about the subway?

I also have an 18 month old but I am definitely not comfortable even considering taking her on any sort of public transit.

Thanks, in advance.

Peace.

[Clarity]

public transit is safer than cars. Even without car seats or seat belts. Of course, a car seat in public transit is safest...but if the choice is your car with a car seat, vs public transit without...transit is still less likely to have an accident or injury.

[oncewerewise]

Thanks, Clarity, but would you explain further please? I don't understand. If my dd is thrown forward because the bus/subway stops suddenly, then that does not seem safer to me.

I personally wouldn't want to take her carseat on public transit. I would have to carry it around with us everywhere. And, I don't even think that the GO Bus has seatbelts or other public transit for that matter, although I could be wrong because it's been a long time since I was on public transit.

Do some of you mamas use carseats on public transit? What do you do with them when you get where you're going? Are there seatbelts? At what age do you feel safe letting them ride on public transit?

Thanks.

[Clarity]

physics and statistics...the mass of the bus or subway car is large...so impacts tend to be less severe to the interior passengers since they are generally larger than what they hit. Not always, but often. Statistically, car accidents are VERY common, subway or bus accidents are quite rare.

[yogamama]

I have taken my son on the subway many times and it seems very safe without any restraints. I also took the subway for about 15 years and have watched lots of small kids on the train, never any accidents.

Keep a baby or small toddler on your lap and make sure an older child stays seated. Sometimes the train does lurk forward or make a sudden stop, but I have never seen anyone injured. Clarity's points make sense to me.

We have never taken a bus, just the subway/ el train...

[Ragana]

We have taken our daughter on trains in Europe and Chicago and never had a problem. I have to watch her more closely on the bus, but haven't had a problem there, either. I don't think there's any way to attach a car seat to a CTA bus seat.

Maybe the transit authority can give you some advice?

[Liz]

DS and I have ridden (rid? ridded? rided? It all sounds wrong...) the Toronto subway, buses, streetcars and even the GO train since he was born. I don't drive so I had no choice. As a baby he was in the Baby Trekker, then in a stroller (always lock the wheels) and now on his own. I have always felt quite safe. Of course, there is a possibility something could happen and a child would be safer in a car seat but accidents on public transit are rare and if you hold on to them they won't fall if the train lurches or whatever. And I have never seen seatbelts on any public transit. One precaution you could take is to put the child in a stroller facing the rear with the brakes on and you holding on. This way if there is an accident the child won't lurch forward but will be forced back into their seat.

[SabraMamma]

I have been a regular bus rider with my DD since she was about 3 months old and we moved to a city with user-friendly public transportation. I always carried her in the sling when she was a baby. Since she has been a toddler and up until now (not quite 3 yrs.) she knows to always stay in her seat and sit on her bottom. I always sit next to her and am there if I need to use my arm as a brace for sudden stops. This happened one time. She and I were both fine. I think you should try it. Kids love to ride the trains and busses.

[Clarity]

A sling, a bjorn, my lap, and in some cases the stroller (on the subway) are what I've used. I put the brake on the stoller, keep her strapped in and hold on to it at all times. I alway place it across, rather than straight forward or backward. picalNeither buses nor subway here have any type of seatbelt, that is typical for most public transit.

[Clarity]

A sling, a bjorn, my lap, and in some cases the stroller (on the subway) are what I've used. I put the brake on the stoller, keep her strapped in and hold on to it at all times. I alway place it across, rather than straight forward or backward. Neither buses nor subway here have any type of seatbelt, that is typical for most public transit.

[Forest Sage]

My four year old ds and I take the bus everyday to get to his school. Altogether our daily ride takes just over an hour (on a good day). I've been using public transportation for 20 years and I have never been in accident. My opinion is that public transportation is even safer than car travel, as long as the child can stay seated properly on his or her bum. When ds was a toddler however, he didn't quite understand that he had to be still on the bus. He fought tooth and nail to be given freedom to wander aimlessly through the ailses of the bus...obviously I wasn't going to allow that to happen, so I avoided taking the bus until he was old enough to be still in his seat.

Most strollers these days are so huge that my local transit company has banned passengers from boarding the bus with a child in a stroller during peak hours. This is a real concern for some parents who want their child to be restrained in a stroller for the duration of the ride. There were also boarding issues because one mother here tried to sue the transit company after unsuccessfully deboarding the bus with her stroller open with a child in it. The stroller fell out of the bus. I'm torn on the issue. It's a double-edged sword - having strollers on the bus is dangerous (boarding/deboarding, people stumbling and tripping over them trying to get by, etc), but not having them is dangerous too as alot of parents feel their child is infinitly safer while restrained in their stroller for the whole ride. It's a moot point for a child who is too big for a stroller though. As someone pointed out, there is no way to restrain a booster seat on a bus as there are no seatbelts.

I'm sure your four year old would be fine on the bus!

[Liz]

Since we have a few Toronto area transit riders here, can I ask a quick sort of related question? Last year when ds was too little to walk long ways reliably I would take the stroller on the streetcar. I never had a problem getting somebody to help me load/unload and if all else failed, I'd ask the driver. Then one day the driver said, "Well, I'm not supposed to do this because I could get sued... grumble grumble....." I'm guessing this had something to do with the law suit you mentioned, Forest Sage. Does the TTC have an official policy on drivers helping to load/unload strollers?