all passengers should wear seatbelts, and for individuals sitting in the front seat, this practice is a legal requirement - due to the potential risk of accidents wearing a seatbelt is always safe practice.

most neighborhoods in the south zone of rio de janeiro have a an assortment of cabs which can be flagged over - generally, if the green light on top of taxi is lite, the taxi is available.

in the case of areas less populated by traffic, or outside the south zone, it is a good idea to keep the contact information from local cab companies - most drivers have cards they can pass out to their passengers which gives information for a call back - busy events or popular destinations also pose the risk of limited taxi access so planning rides to and from, certain locations, is recommended.