Ride-hailing with kids: Who’s got their back?

Abstract

Introduction: As transportation network companies (TNC) are on the rise, assessing the safety of children traveling in these vehicles is imperative. For this reason, this study developed and adopted a scoring system to assess states’ safety standards for children traveling in TNC vehicles. Methods: The scoring was based on two parameters pertaining to child car seat laws for TNCs: clarity and stringency. For each parameter, three criteria that could impact child safety in TNC vehicles were formulated. If a state met a certain criterion it got 1 point and 0 otherwise. The authors gathered all the necessary information by reviewing state statutes in Nexus Uni, a legal research database. These reviews took place between December 2019 and October 2020, and this study evaluated state laws in effect on October 28, 2020. Results: During this assessment, the authors observed a lack of clarity in state child car seat laws, which could compromise safety of children traveling in TNC vehicles. For clarity of laws, Georgia and Indiana received the highest scores (3 out of 3 points), while 16 states scored only 1 point, which was the lowest score in this category. In terms of stringency of laws, Pennsylvania received the highest score (3 out of 3 points), while Indiana scored the least (0 points). Conclusions: Besides one state (Oregon), all other states defined TNCs in their state laws. All states except for Indiana and Washington required child car seats in TNC vehicles. The responsibility for child car seat use was clearly defined in 35 states. The fine for child car seat violation was $50 or more in 28 states. Practical Application: This study will help TNCs, policymakers, and stakeholders identify states that need to improve their standards for child safety in TNC vehicles, and comprehensively address the issue.