Have you heard about Lyft Car Seat?
Or maybe you’ve noticed it in the Lyft mobile app?
Then, you may have some questions about this feature.
Lyft continues to make its car service more accessible for all, and this is another feature that can help parents and families find comfortable and convenient transportation.
Table Of Contents
- What Is Lyft’s Car Seat Policy?
- What Is Lyft Car Seat Mode?
- Where Is Lyft Car Seat Mode Available?
- What Does Lyft Do to Make Sure the Car Seats Are Safe?
- How To Order a Lyft Car Seat
- How To Bring Your Own Car Seat to a Lyft
- Things to Keep in Mind When Riding With a Child
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Wrapping Up
What Is Lyft’s Car Seat Policy?
Minors who are accompanied by adults can join any Lyft ride.
However, if local laws require them to ride in a car seat or booster seat, Lyft’s car seat policy requires the minor’s guardian to provide the right equipment.
It’s crucial for riders with young children to know the car seat laws in their state and city before requesting a rideshare service.
Not only are you expected to purchase and bring a proper car seat or booster seat based on your child’s age, but you also need to know how to meet legal installation requirements.
For example, many state laws require convertible seats to be installed as rear-facing seats until children reach a certain age or weight.
To limit liability, rideshare drivers are not required to — and should not — help with any part of the installation or buckling process.
Though Lyft drivers can’t help with car seats, drivers should still stay up-to-date with local car seat laws.
This is because transporting minors who are not properly secured can be a reason for deactivation.
When you know the basic car seat laws in your city and a parent doesn’t supply the proper car seat for a child, you can safely cancel requests.
You can always ask for the child’s age to further limit your own liability.
To keep minors who don’t need car seats or booster seats safe, we also recommend being aware of other vehicle passenger laws.
Riders who are under 16 or riding in the front seat are typically required to wear a seat belt.
In many states, minors are strictly prohibited from riding in the front seat until they reach a certain age.
Lyft’s car seat policy summarized:
- Children under the age of eight must sit in a car seat
- If the adult nor the driver have a federally-approved car seat, the child cannot be transported
- Children under eight cannot ride on an adult’s lap
- Lyft drivers have the right to refuse any ride they feel would be unsafe or illegal
What Is Lyft Car Seat Mode?
Lyft Car Seat mode is a new ride type offered by Lyft in select locations.
When you select this ride type, you will be picked up by a vehicle with a car seat designed for small children of a certain height and weight.
Lyft Car Seat mode is an excellent new feature that can cater to the many parents and families that enjoy using Lyft but need extra safety features to protect their young child from an accident.
How Lyft Car Seat Works
If you select a Lyft Car Seat mode ride, the driver will provide an IMMO Go car seat that is safe and in good condition.
The Lyft driver is responsible for providing the car seat, installing the car seat into their vehicle properly, and ensuring it is safe and secure.
They are also responsible for uninstalling the car seat after completing the ride.
The rider is responsible for securing the child into the car seat and ensuring the car seat is the proper size and is safe and secure.
They also must remove the young child from the car seat at the end of the ride.
Where Is Lyft Car Seat Mode Available?
Lyft Car Seat is a relatively new Lyft feature.
Because they are still testing out its popularity and effectiveness, it is only available in the bustling area of New York City.
So busy New York parents can access Lyft Car Seat mode, making it easy to travel around the crowded city with small children.
Lyft will likely expand this ride option to other major cities as demand grows.
Places where Lyft is super popular will likely be the first locations to get this ride option.
Expect it in cities like Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, and more.
What Does Lyft Do to Make Sure the Car Seats Are Safe?
Lyft takes the safety of children and all passengers very seriously.
To ensure the safety of children that ride in their car seats, they use the federally approved IMMO Go Car Seat, which is suitable for children between two and eight years old.
The child must be between 31 and 52 inches in height and 22 and 48 pounds in weight.
If they exceed or don’t meet the height and weight requirements, the driver will have to reject the ride unless you bring your own car seat suitable for the child’s size.
In addition to using a top-notch car seat, Lyft also trains their drivers on properly installing the car seat.
If they do not pass the test, they are not permitted to drive Lyft Car Seat rides.
Only drivers that pass their IMMO Go car seat test can transport small children.
How To Order a Lyft Car Seat
Ordering a Lyft Car Seat is incredibly simple and practically the same as any other kind of Lyft ride.
- Open the Lyft app and log in to your account
- Under ride type, select the ‘Car Seat’ option
- Choose your pickup location and drop-off location
- Confirm the ride and wait for your Lyft to arrive!
There is an additional $10 charge for rides that provide a car seat.
How To Bring Your Own Car Seat to a Lyft
Bringing your own car seat to a Lyft ride is simple.
You have to install the car seat yourself, but there are no extra fees or charges.
Most car seats will fit on most passenger vehicles, so the odds of your car seat not fitting in the Lyft rideshare vehicle are low.
When bringing your own car seat in a Lyft, you do not need to request any specific type of ride, as the driver does not need to provide the car seat themselves.
However, a Lyft driver can reject the ride if they feel the car seat is not appropriate for the child or if there are other safety issues they see in your car seat.
Which Car Seat Should You Use?
The safety of your child is of the utmost importance.
It can be stressful deciding the best car seat to secure your child when riding in a vehicle.
There are many trusted car seats on the market.
A great way to find a reputable car seat is to ask your doctor or pediatrician, as they often have a recommendation for parents.
Below are six trustworthy car seats that parents and child experts recommend as they use durable and reliable materials with extra safety features.
In addition, they keep your child comfortable, making for the best riding experience possible.
- 0-1 years: Doona Infant Car Seat
- 1-2 years: Cosco Scenera NEXT DLX
- 1-2 years: IMMI Go Car Seat (Lyft’s choice)
- 2-4 years: Wayb Pico
- 4-6 years: Ride Safer Travel Vest
- Over 6 years: Bubblebum Inflatable Booster Seat
While keeping up with fast-growing children is challenging, you must acquire new car seats as children age out of the old ones.
Placing a child in a seat that is too big or too small can pose severe safety issues.
How Much Does It Cost To Bring a Car Seat?
Nothing! Lyft does not charge you if you bring your own car seat.
The $10 charge on top of the standard Lyft rates mentioned before is for providing and installing the car seat.
But if you have your own car seat, you are responsible for installing it, and it requires little to no effort on the driver’s part.
Things to Keep in Mind When Riding With a Child
Concerned that your Lyft or Uber driver will give you a bad rating for bringing a child seat into the car?
The truth is, most of them will refuse you as a passenger if you don’t.
With that in mind, there are some other things you should (and should not) do when riding with a child in an Uber or Lyft.
#1 Know how to install and operate your own car seat
As a parent traveling with a child, it’s up to you to know how to install your car seat and how to install your child in it.
Be efficient. Know how your car seat works before you get into the vehicle.
You can’t expect a driver to waste their time waiting for you while you figure out how your own seat works.
Before you request a rideshare service with a child in tow, practice installing and removing your car seat from other vehicles.
Drivers understand that this will take a minute or two to do – but it shouldn’t take much longer than that.
#2 Make sure your car seat is clean
If your Lyft driver provided you a dirty car seat, you probably wouldn’t want to put your child in it.
That idea works both ways.
Drivers don’t need your child’s cracker crumbs or sticky juice all over their back seat.
If you’re bringing your own car seat into a Lyft, make sure the seat is clean.
#3 Don’t keep your driver waiting
The standard Lyft policy is that a driver will wait five minutes for you once they arrive at your pickup location.
If you’re traveling with a child and need time to install a car seat, don’t show up with 30 seconds to spare.
We’re not suggesting that you wait outside with a child in the cold or the rain.
But you should be prompt enough that the driver won’t mind if it takes you five minutes to install your seat.
Some drivers are more patient than others, and some are parents, so you may get a driver that sympathizes with you and gives you some extra time.
Keep in mind, however, that every minute the driver is not actually driving, they are losing money.
Don’t keep them waiting!
If you do keep them waiting, the driver can cancel your trip, and you’ll have to request a new ride, which could take even longer.
#4 Tip your driver
As you know, Lyft drivers can rate you as a passenger.
And if they give you a 3-star rating or less, they will never get matched with you again.
Keep that in mind whether you’re traveling alone or with a child.
Installing and removing a car seat will eat up some of the driver’s time.
To compensate for that time wasted, give them a tip.
Giving a good tip is one of the best ways to ensure that you get a good rating in return.
Frequently Asked Questions
For more information on Lyft Car Seat and transporting small children, refer to the commonly asked questions below.
Is putting a child in a Lyft without a car seat a crime?
In certain states, it is illegal for a child under a determined weight or age to ride in a vehicle without a car seat.
If this law applies to your area, the Lyft driver will not allow you to enter the vehicle with the child if you do not have the proper car seat or they cannot offer you a car seat.
Can you put a Lyft car seat in the front seat?
You cannot place a child under a certain weight and age in the front seat, even if they are in a car seat.
The airbags in the front seat of cars are too powerful for a small child.
So in an accident, the airbag could seriously injure or even kill them.
Never put a small child in the front seat of a car, whether you have a car seat or not.
Wrapping Up
Lyft continues to update policies and add new features to include everyone, like kids!
And they’re taking steps to ensure their drivers can transport kids safely.
Please comment if you have questions or comments about Lyft Car Seat pricing or how it works!
Currently, New York City residents can enjoy the benefits of Lyft Car Seat mode by providing and installing a car seat for them.
But Lyft is kid-friendly, and all states allow you to bring and install your own car seat so you can travel with the little ones.
