• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Property
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Work & Finance
        • Costa Rhu: Jyoti’s spacious & central Tanjong Rhu condo
        • Shop dress shoes for men in SingaporeDress shoes for men – finding the perfect pair in Singapore
        • living in singapore demographics expat living reader surveyEXPAT LIVING READER SURVEY 2023
        • Forex trading for beginnersHow to start forex trading in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • VIP Glamourous Giving Sep 2023What’s on this week and beyond
        • Sailing Yacht Charter in SingaporeLuxury yacht rentals in Singapore
        • Where to watch the F1 2023 and party!
        • One Rishta - a website for happiness and culture in Singapore from Rituparna senguptaA new way to access creativity and culture in Singapore!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • Centre Stage performing arts and drama classes in SingaporeTop ballet, dance and drama classes in Singapore
        • agora colearning inclusive learning environmentThis new preschool has a personalised learning environment
        • learning journey community SASMaking the student learning journey exciting
        • Yellow Aliens mascotWhere to rent costumes for Halloween in Singapore & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Furniture & Décor
      • Real Homes
        • Looking for the best outdoor furniture?
        • Where to buy antiques or vintage furniture – Reviews
        • Modern interior design with a touch of tradition!
        • Singapore home decor by Originals7 best furniture stores for home décor in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Australasia
      • Rest Of The World
        • Indonesia travel - where to stay in BaliIndonesia travel – Where to stay in Bali & island resorts
        • Sailing Yacht Charter in SingaporeLuxury yacht rentals in Singapore
        • Beach Villas Wakatobi Indonesian island resort6 Reasons to Book These Beach Villas!
        • The Latest Travel News & Hotel Deals
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • Oktoberfest 2023 singapore - the places for food and beerHow to celebrate Oktoberfest 2023 in Singapore
        • Deviate wine bar in Dempsey Hill - we chat to owner Joe Keats of Petersons WinesThis Dempsey bar is a best-kept secret!
        • Crossroads cafe at Orchard - where to eat in Orchard Road - alfresco dining SingaporeTry alfresco dining & happy hour at this café at Orchard Road
        • The best birthday cakes in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • Shop dress shoes for men in SingaporeDress shoes for men – finding the perfect pair in Singapore
        • Six shades full set Bigen Men Beard ColorDye your beard like an expert – at home!
        • Tiffany Cook and Caroline Chin Geyler from T&C Gemstones and JewelleryBespoke jewellery created by a pair of gem lovers!
        • Try the best Spas in Singapore for some pampering!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • allergic rhinitis, allergy medication and insuranceFast facts about allergies, their symptoms and insurance
        • art therapy depression treatmentNavigating depression with Experiential Therapy
        • The best personal trainers and personal training gyms in SingaporeWhere to go for personal trainers in Singapore
        • Sport clubs in SingaporeWant to join a sports team?
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • Close

Taxi tips for toddlers: Safety advice and top buys for kids in cabs

29th September 2016 by Catherine Willingham 4 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/taxi-tips-for-toddlers-safety-advice-and-top-buys-for-kids-in-singapore-cabs/

If you don’t have a car in Singapore, being chauffeured around in taxis while you catch up on emails sounds ideal. But if you have a small kid in tow who has outgrown a Maxi-Cosi but is too small for an adult seatbelt, then what? How exactly are you supposed to get around safely?

Quick Quiz

Do you:

  1. Use a baby carrier to attach your child to you, then wear a seatbelt yourself?
  2. Strap yourself into the seatbelt and hold your unbelted child tightly on your lap?
  3. Strap yourself and your toddler into the seatbelt together?

The Law in Singapore

Anyone below the height of 1.35m, rather than of a certain age, must be secured with an appropriate restraint, booster seat or adjustable seatbelt. Those 1.35m or taller will be required to wear a seatbelt, irrespective of age. Taxis are exempt from child safety seat requirements.

If you would have ticked any of the above, please think again – these are not safe options.

 

Trunki Boost Pak
Trunki Boost Pak

 

Advice and top buys
A portable booster seat, the Trunki Boostapak gets glowing user reviews.  It doubles as a backpack, making it somewhat easier to carry although it is still fairly bulky to lug around. (And you know who will be the one left to carry it.)

After much research, I came across the Ride Safer Travel Vest from Safe Traffic System. It consists of a pink or blue padded vest which optimises the existing seatbelt system for a small child’s body. It basically secures the car seatbelt across the child’s chest and across the pelvis and thighs, preventing the belt from sliding up onto the stomach.

 

Blue Ride Safer
Blue Ride Safer

Officially, the minimum weight is 13.6kg and the minimum age for use is three years old; these are the requirements of most booster seats. The smallest crash-test dummies used to test the vest simulated a three-year-old child in the 50th percentile for weight and height, so my personal decision was to use this for my very stocky and tall toddler who weighed 11.8kg at around 18 months. This was based on the knowledge that he would only be using the vest for short trips of 15 minutes, and that he was physically able and happy to sit upright for the entire journey with an adult beside him.

Pink Ride Safer
Pink Ride Safer

 

Or Try:

There are various car seats which turn into a version of a stroller, such as the Sit’n’Stroll, (newborn to 18kg). It’s bulky and weighs 10kg, but it’s versatile – you can use it as a car seat, a booster seat, in planes and as a stroller. They are not available in Singapore, but you can buy them online from the Sit’n’Stroll Malaysia website and other online stores.

Pros:

One of the least bulky safety devices, the Ride Safer Travel Vest weighs less than 500g and is easily portable.

It’s great for holidays, especially in taxis or when renting cars for short trips. Check the local child restraint laws first.

Unlike booster seats, which elevate the child, the Ride Safer Travel Vest allows him or her to sit directly on the car seat, which has a lower centre of gravity, making the head less vulnerable in a car crash.

Version 2 is “self-certified” by the Safe Traffic System to meet US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. Version 3 is not certified, as it cannot be tested with the lap-only belt, which is the test’s (some say outdated) requirement: this version must be used with a lap-shoulder belt. However, it has the same design as Version 2 except for lacking the tether.

Version 2 is more versatile than a booster seat as it can be used with a lap-shoulder belt or a lap-only belt if you buy the tether attachment; so it is handy for middle seats, which  often don’t have shoulder belts.

Cons:

The Ride Safer travel vest offers no side-impact protection; nor does a backless booster seat, however. Protection from side impact – for both children and adults – relies on vehicle technology such as the presence of side-impact airbags and the strength of the pillars in the frame of the car.

It takes a few extra minutes to install once you’re seated in the cab.

Ahh. Pictures of kids are lovely, aren't they?
Ahh. Pictures of kids are lovely, aren’t they?

Tips:

Put the vest on your child before you get into the cab to minimise installation time – it does take longer to buckle up than a regular seatbelt, as you need to thread the seatbelt through the clips. You may need to ask the taxi uncle to be patient before he zooms off.

While it’s not officially recommend by the manufacturer, if you’re in the grey zone between a Maxi-Cosi and the three-year minimum age for most safety devices, and if you choose to use this vest, it’s wise to have someone sit next to the child at all times to be sure that they stay in the correct, upright position.

The safest spot for your child is the middle seat, with a shoulder-lap belt. If there is only a lap belt in the centre seat, then a side seat with a shoulder-lap belt offers much better protection, even in side-impact crashes.

We hope this taxi is parked... it doesn't seem to have a driver
We hope this taxi is parked… it doesn’t seem to have a driver

 

Buy It

Now here’s the big question: Where can you get one? They’re not yet available in Singapore, but watch this space. Until they are, you can order directly from here; prices start from US$125. Delivery time to Singapore is seven to 10 business days and postage costs roughly US$40 if you choose USPS Priority Mail.

 

Categories: Kids Mums & Babies Tots & Toddlers

Catherine Willingham

You May Also Like

agora colearning inclusive learning environment

This new preschool has a personalised learning environment

learning journey community SAS

Making the student learning journey exciting

Yellow Aliens mascot

Where to rent costumes for Halloween in Singapore & more!

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2023 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.