Allow Babywearing Carriers on Planes

The FAA has one of my favorite examples of thoughtful rulemaking. They haven't banned flying with a baby on your lap, because the extra cost would mean many parents would drive instead. Since driving is far less safe than flying, a ban would lead to more deaths. I'd love to see more of this "all things considered" thinking around bans. In fact, one specific place where I'd like to see this thinking applied is adjacent to this rule: babywearing carriers on planes. When our babies were little, carriers were massively helpful in flying. The baby likes it, and your arms are free. But for takeoff and landing, the FAA requires you to take your baby out of the carrier and hold them in your arms. The rule is that if an under-two is going to ride on a lap, they must not "occupy or use any restraining device," ( 14 CFR 121.311.b.1 ) and FAA guidance to parents is clear: "Baby carriers ...are not allowed to be used during ground movement, take-off, or landing." This goes back to 1995, and if you look at the notice of proposed rulemaking it says: This notice proposes to withdraw FAA approval for the use of booster seats and vest- and harness-type child restraint systems in aircraft during takeoff, landing, and movement on the surface. ... The FAA believes that, during an aircraft crash, the banned devices may put children in a potentially worse situation than the allowable alternatives. This is based on their 1994 study , where the FAA compared child restraint options. They looked at "b…