Hire cars with 6 seatbelts

[Pathel]

Hi....
I shall be travelling over to Florida in the summer with my wife and 4 children (ages 1 to 12)and wondered if any of the intermediate or full size hire car options have 6 seat belts. When we were last in the USA (California) in 1999 and had 3 shildren at the time, we hired an intermediate car which had a bench seat in the front with a seat belt for a child - so 3 belts in the front, 3 in the back. Is this the standard design for intermediate / full size cars ??

Any advice gratefully received....thanks in anticipation.

Kind Regards,

[steph_goodrum]

Pat all children under 6 must be restrained in a car seat appropriate for their size and weight by law so you will either need to take your own car seats for the youngest or hire one. It's cheaper and safer to take your own and check it in with your luggage.

[Pathel]

Thanks - I'll be sure to bring the car seat with us for our youngest child.

[neilandkay]

When searching for hire cars, all the intermediate and full size cars seem to say that that can carry a maximum of 5 passengers, but check with the car hire company that you are interested in dealing with. However I would recommend getting a 7 seater minivan at a minimum for a family of 6 as you will have luggage with you to and from the airport and you also need room for that.

Florida Child Restraint Requirements

S316.613 Child restraint requirements.--

(1)(a) Every operator of a motor vehicle as defined herein, while transporting a child in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state, shall, if the child is 5 years of age or younger, provide for protection of the child by properly using a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint device. For children aged through 3 years, such restraint device must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or a seat belt may be used.

I know that all states have different requirements and I would recommend providing a booster seat for children 4 + up. My little boy is 3 and in CA needs an appropriate travel seat until he is 6 and 60lbs weight. I wouldn't risk his life by not following this rule even in a state where the rule is not as strict.

Pat,

We have 5 children the youngest are 2 and 6, we always take car seats for these two, and we always get the 7 seater mini van (Chrysler Voyager), its a bit more expensive but makes travelling with children more convienent.

Hope this helps.

[Pathel]

Many thanks for all the advice - very helpful and informative. We shall be going for a Chrysler Voyager and bring our child car seat over with us from the UK !!