Lyft Now Offering Car Seat Option For NYC Riders

Lyft, a ride-sharing app, recently rolled out a car seat option making it easier to get around New York City with kids.

Once you open the Lyft app you can choose the car seat option for an additional $10. Drivers with car seats will have the IMMI Go car seat, which is forward-facing. The child using the car seat must be between 31-52 inches and weigh 22-48 pounds. The car seat is not suitable for children under 12 months old.

As with any car seat, installation is key. This is the responsibility of a trained Lyft driver, according to Lyft’s recent blog post about its new car seat offerings. “Your driver is responsible for safely installing and uninstalling the car seat at the beginning and end of each ride. Drivers have been tested to ensure they know how to properly install and maintain their IMMI Go Car Seat," states Lyft in the post.

Even so, Lyft encourages riders to double-check that the car seat has been securely installed. The blog post goes on to state that riders will be responsible for safely securing children in the car seat and removing them upon departure—an important note (though most parents would do this regardless).

Additionally, Lyft states, “Lyft has engaged third-party child passenger safety technicians that have been certified under the auspices of the National Child Passenger Safety Training Program. These CPS technicians have tested each Lyft driver in our Car Seat program to assure that the driver knows how to properly install the IMMI Go car seat in the driver’s vehicle and that the car seat is in proper working condition.”

As a mom with young children in New York City, I have often wished that hailing a taxicab for my kids and I was an option. After all, travel convenience is one of the many perks of living here. Unfortunately, cab rides have pretty much been off the table when travelling with my little ones. But now with companies like Lyft starting to take notice of younger passengers and their needs, traveling with kids is becoming a bit easier.