Any time a child rides in a car, he needs to be restrained in a car seat, booster seat or, in the case of older children starting about age 8, at the very least a properly fitting seat belt. Never hold a baby on your lap; the force of an accident not only can cause him injury but can make it impossible for you to hold him. Likewise, don’t strap your child in with you in a seat belt; this too could result in injury.

In lieu of lugging around a standard convertible car seat, consider buying a portable car seat for taxis and travel. Check out the Sit ‘n’ Stroll by Lilly Gold (photo at right), which converts from a stroller to a car seat. It works as a rear-facing seat up to 30 pounds and a forward facing seat up to 40 pounds. And it scored well in our most recent convertible car seat tests (available to subscribers).