Uber for kids: what you need to know about riding with children

Many families use the Uber app in their daily lives, whether it’s ferrying the kids around to after-school activities or helping an elderly parent come and meet you for dinner. We’re glad that families are using our service to make their daily lives a little less frantic. 

However, there are a few things to consider when it comes to using Uber for kids. Here’s what you need to know about catching an Uber ride with your children in South Africa.

When it comes to requesting rides, our guidelines state that the Uber age limit is 18, meaning children are not allowed to have Uber accounts. If you’re using your Uber account or the Uber family profile for your children to request a ride, they must still be accompanied by an adult to be allowed to ride. As such, drivers may also ask for ID verification to check a rider’s age if they think it is necessary.

If you are planning on riding with small children, then you should bring a child seat or some form of secure seating for them. 

In South Africa, children under the age of 3 must be secured in a child seat in cars according to the law. Children between the ages of 3 and 14 must ride in the backseat and be secured with an adult seatbelt – although best practice recommends booster seats for children under 1.5 meters. 

Car seats in Uber vehicles aren’t common, so it’s always safest to assume you will need to bring one if you’re riding with an infant child.If you’re not sure what kind of car seat you need for your child, you can find out more about the different types of seats and how to install them here.

In Johannesburg and Cape Town, UberVAN and UberXL are available with room for extra passengers and luggage. That means space for you and your partner, the kids and any other family members you’ll be taking on your family outing. Or, you can use the space for extra luggage if you’re taking the kids along for your long-awaited holiday abroad.

The Uber app has a variety of safety features to give you and your family peace of mind when using Uber, with kids or otherwise. One feature you can use is sharing your trip status to let your partner or anyone else know exactly where you and your child are when you’re riding with us. Tap “Send Status” during a ride to share or pre-select up to 5 Trusted Contacts to receive your trip status whenever you ride.

Make travel easier for you, your partner, your kids, grandparents and anyone else with the Uber family profile. The family profile allows you to connect up to 5 people to your Uber account, meaning they can request rides using your payment methods, with records being kept on your account. It’s a great way to manage transport for the whole family and take care of the ‘who’s driving who’ conversations.

So, when are you riding with the kids? Follow our rules and tips for using Uber with kids, and you can make transport that much easier for you and the whole family.

Family time is precious, make it count with Uber.