Following an investigation by Scripps station KNXV in Phoenix, Uber has added an alert to its phone app informing drivers of Arizona’s child safety seat laws.
When Arizona Uber drivers open the app, it now shows a “reminder” of state laws regarding child restraints. It also includes a link to Arizona’s statutes.
"Reminder on small children and car seats," reads the headline. It's followed by, "Arizona law requires that any child under 8-years old and under 4'9" tall must be secured in a child restraint system. While riders can bring a car seat with them to install and use in your vehicle, you can choose not to accept trip requests if you do not want to transport infants or small children."
The notice was posted days after KNXV exposed how drivers from Uber and Lyft were willing to drive a 10-month-old baby without a car seat.
At one pick-up, the driver said it was “no problem” and to “hold on to (her) tight.”
“We periodically send out safety reminders to our drivers, including the reminder and link to the law we sent last week…’” an Uber spokesman said in a statement. “Your story was a great reminder to both our drivers and our riders that anyone using the Uber platform must abide by all relevant state, federal, and local laws.”
Lyft did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday to see if the company is doing anything similar.
Multiple drivers for both companies said they routinely come across parents who don’t have the proper car seats for small children.
Since the investigation aired, KNXV has heard from dozens of drivers across the country. Many said the issue is a major problem and questioned whether enough is being done to curb it.
