All parents know the challenges of traveling with a young child. Children are too small to safely ride in passenger vehicles without the right support, even if they aren’t being fussy. When you’re using a rideshare or shuttle service, you may have to bring a car seat or booster seat.
Traveling By Car In Nevada
Parents must follow Nevada child car seat laws when traveling with younger children. These laws require very young children to be in rear-facing seats and older children to sit in forward-facing car seats to help protect them from injuries resulting from car accidents.
That works well when you are traveling in your car, but what do you do when you need to travel in a rideshare vehicle or a shuttle? Nevada child car seat laws also regulate these vehicles. Any driving service that wants to cater to families with smaller children must either provide or allow car and booster seats.
Uber And Lyft Car And Booster Seat Policies
According to Uber policy, if you are traveling with a small child and state laws require a child seat of any type, you must provide that seat for your child. Otherwise, the Uber driver must refuse to transport you and your child.
Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the parent to install the seat to properly protect their child from injury during an Uber accident. If the seat can’t be safely installed, the driver is similarly required to deny a ride to the passenger. Finally, Uber drivers are explicitly allowed to refuse child seats in their car, politely refusing the fare.
Uber and Lyft have policies that are close to identical for car and booster seats. Lyft’s safety standards require passengers to provide a car seat and safely install it in the vehicle if state law requires one. However, unlike Uber, Lyft does not offer drivers the option to refuse a passenger who needs a child seat.
Finally, Uber and Lyft drivers can provide car seats to passengers in certain cities. However, Las Vegas is not one of the cities that has a car seat program.
Shuttle Booster And Car Seat Policies
While Uber and Lyft policies are mostly the same nationwide, shuttle policies can differ depending on the company. Typically, though, they will endeavor to support children’s safety. If a business refuses to allow a car seat or booster seat, they are likely to lose customers.
The big difference is that Uber and Lyft vehicles are, for the most part, traditional sedans and SUVs. Car seats and booster seats are designed to safely fit in these types of vehicles. It may be harder to safely install a booster or car seat in a shuttle.
Since using a shuttle service usually involves a planned trip, you should contact the service in advance to discuss car seat options. Some services offer to provide child seats, while others will reserve a seat where your car seat can be attached. Unfortunately, due to the design of the vehicles, some shuttle services may refuse to transport your child.
Plan For Your Child’s Safety
Nearly all rideshare and shuttle services put the onus of protecting your child on you. This means you need to be familiar with Nevada car seat laws and take the proper steps to ensure the safety of your child before getting into a vehicle.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer at De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers
If your child was injured in a rideshare or shuttle accident in Las Vegas, NV, due to improper restraints or negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation with a Las Vegas car accident lawyer. We’re here to help protect your family’s rights.
We have three locations in Nevada for your convenience, including Las Vegas, Summerlin, and Henderson. We’re proud to serve Clark County and the surrounding areas.
De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers – Las Vegas Office
1149 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89104
(702) 222-9999
De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers – Summerlin Office
410 S Rampart Blvd, Ste 480 Las Vegas, NV 89145
(702) 964-1806
De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers – Henderson Office
9555 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89123
(702) 800-3455
About the Author
Alex De Castroverde earned his law degree from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law and is licensed to practice in Nevada. He is a dedicated trial lawyer who assists clients across Las Vegas in a wide range of legal matters, with a focus on personal injury. Alex has successfully represented clients in cases involving car accidents, catastrophic injuries, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents and more. Click here to learn more about the outstanding case results Alex has achieved for his clients.
