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Car Seat Safety

Car seats save lives! Make sure you use your child's car seat or booster seat correctly before every trip.

Before installing a car seat, carefully read the car seat manufacturer’s instructions. This will give you the information you need to install the car seat properly. It is also important to read the car seat section of your vehicle owner’s manual to find out where car seats can be used and how to secure them in your vehicle.

Children often fall asleep in their car seats while travelling but car seats are made for travelling in vehicles only and should never be used in place of a crib.

The back seat is the safest place for children. Children should not sit in the front seat until they are at least 13 years old. If your child is under 13 years of age and must sit in the front seat, it’s important to turn the air bag off.

Motor vehicle crashes are a significant cause of death for Canadian children between the ages of one and nine. When used correctly, car seats and booster seats reduce the risk of death and serious injury.

•This can be an infant carrier or a larger rear-facing and forward-facing car seat.
• Once a baby has reached the maximum height or weight limit of the infant carrier, they should be moved to a larger rear-facing car seat.

In Ontario, at a minimum, babies should stay rear facing until a minimum weight of 20 lbs (9 kg).

Tips:

•    It is safest to keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible, even until 2, 3, or 4 years of age, as long as they are within the weight and height limits of the rear-facing seat.
•    Some rear-facing car seats are for children that weigh up to 20 kg (50 lbs).
•    Many rear-facing seats are outgrown when the top of the child’s head is 1 inch below the top of the car seat.
•    Refer to the car seat instructions for:
     o    Example: the proper recline / angle of the car seat.
     o    Example: the position of the carrying handle during car seat use in the vehicle.   
     o    Example: for larger rear-facing car seats, check for weight and height limits and adjustments that need to be made as you switch from rear-facing to forward-facing
•    It is safe for the child’s legs to touch the back of the vehicle seat as long as your child is still below the weight and height limits of the child car seat.
•    Always check for movement at the belt path. Make sure the car seat does not move more than 2.5 cm (1") from side to side or from front to back.
•    Make sure the shoulder harness straps are at or just below your baby's shoulders and that the chest clip is at armpit level. Use the “Pinch Test” to ensure that the harness is properly secured: pinch the harness vertically, at your child’s shoulders. If you can pinch and hold the harness, then it needs to be tightened.

•    It is safest to keep your child rear-facing for as long as your child is within the weight and height limits of your rear-facing seat. Once your child has outgrown the seat in the rear-facing position, you may turn the car seat or move your child to a forward-facing car seat.
•    There are various types of forward-facing car seats.
•    Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat for as long as possible (until they reach the maximum height or weight outlined in the car seat manual) before moving to a booster seat.
•    Refer to the forward-facing car seat manual for weight and height limits and adjustments that need to be made as you switch from the forward-facing with harnessing stage to a booster seat.

In Ontario, a child must be in a forward-facing car seat until they are a minimum of 40 lbs (18 kg).

Tips:
•    It is safest to keep your child in a forward-facing car seat, with a five-point harness, for as long possible within the forward-facing weight and height limits of the car seat. This may be at 4, 5, 6, or even 7 years of age.
•    Many forward-facing car seats can safely restrain a child up to 30 kgs (65 lbs).
•    Always check for movement at the belt path. Make sure the car seat does not move more than 2.5 cm (1") from side to side or front to back.
•    You must connect the tether strap (located at the top of the car seat) to the tether anchor in your vehicle; check your vehicle owner’s manual for details on the location of the tether anchor. The tether strap keeps your child's car seat from moving forward in a collision. If your vehicle does not have a tether anchor, contact a dealership to have one put in.
•    Make sure the shoulder harness straps are at or just above the child's shoulders and that the chest clip is at armpit level.
•    Use the “Pinch Test” to ensure that the harness is properly secured: pinch the harness vertically, at your child’s shoulders. If you can pinch and hold the harness, then it needs to be tightened.

•    A booster seat protects a child who is at least 40 lbs (18 kg) and has the maturity to sit correctly in a booster seat.
•    All booster seats must be used with a lap and shoulder seat belt.
•    A booster seat raises your child up so the seat belt fits properly over their body – the shoulder belt should lie snugly across the centre of your child’s chest and shoulder, while the lap belt should rest low across their hips.

 In Ontario, a child must be in a booster seat until they are:
    •    8 years of age, or
    •    36 kg (80 lbs.), or
    •    145 cm (4' 9") tall

Tips:
•    Even if your child has met one of the above criteria (8 years of age, 80 lbs, or 145 cm (4’9” tall), they may not be completely ready for a seat belt. It is safest to keep children in booster seats for as long as possible, as long as they are within the weight and height limits of their booster seat. Your child must also be able to sit straight and tall for the whole ride, without moving around or unbuckling. 
•    The child must have head support to the tops of the ears, either from the vehicle head rest or from a high back booster seat, or both.
•    Lap belt should be positioned low on the child’s hips, touching the thighs, never on the belly.
•    Shoulder belt should be positioned touching the chest and crossing between the child’s neck and shoulder.
Seat belts are designed for older children and adults. Most children are at least 4’9” (145 cm) tall before they can safely use the adult seat belt.
When buckled with a lap/shoulder belt, your child is ready for a seat belt only when all the following are met:
•    Your child's back is against the back of the vehicle seat (no slouching); and
•    Your child's knees bend comfortably over the edge of the vehicle seat; and
•    The shoulder belt fits touching across the chest and crossing between the child’s neck and shoulder (NOT on the neck or face); and
•    The lap belt fits snugly across your child's hip bones, touching the thighs (NOT on the stomach); and
•    The child can sit in this position the entire ride.
If your child does not meet all the above, it is recommended that you continue to use a booster seat.
 
Tips:
•    A child may pass all 5 steps to use a seat belt in one car, but still need to use a booster seat in another vehicle.
•    Make sure your child has support behind the head to the tops of their ears.
•    Never put two children in the same seat belt.
•    Never place the shoulder strap behind your child's back or tucked under the arm.
•    Your child is safest in the back seat until they are 13 years old. Most vehicles have front seat air bags, and these can hurt your child if the bags inflate during a crash or sudden stop.
•    Big snowsuits or winter clothing are not recommended for use with a car seat. Use thin, warm layers (like fleece) and cover with blankets after buckling. Bulky clothing can prevent the harness from being tightened properly.
•    Bulky sports equipment, such as shoulder pads and hockey pants, can also interfere with proper car seat or seat belt fit. Dress children in a base layer to travel to the practice or game, then put on their remaining gear in the car or dressing room when you arrive.
•    Do not leave loose items in your vehicle because they will become projectiles in a collision and may cause injury to passengers.
•    All passengers and pets should be buckled or secured.
•    Cleaning: check your car seat or booster seat manual for washing instructions; do not soak the harness.
•    Do not use add-on products that did not come with your seat unless your car seat manufacturer says it’s allowed. Some examples include: bunting bags, seat belt adjusters, attachable trays or mirrors, added harness strap covers or head support pads.
    o    These products were not crash-tested with your car seat and could contribute to your child being hurt in a collision or sudden stop.
    o    For more information on after-market products, please visit Transport Canada.
•    Register your child's car seat with the manufacturer. They will notify you if there has been a recall on your child's car seat.
•    Contact the manufacturer with questions or for installation help.
For pre-owned car seats, make sure the car seat:
   o    Meets Transport Canada’s current Regulations and the requirements of Health Canada’s Consumer Product Safety Act.
   o    Has instructions and all necessary straps and hardware.
   o    Has never been in a collision. If the seller does not know the history of the car seat, do not buy it.
   o    Meets Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and displays the National Safety Mark.
   o    Has a label with the date of manufacture, the model name and model number.
   o    Does not have discoloured stress marks or cracks and the harness straps and materials are not ripped or damaged.
   o    Has not expired or exceeded its useful life date as determined by the manufacturer.
St John Ambulance Barrie-Simcoe-Muskoka: Car Seat Education 705-726-0991
Trained and certified volunteers educate and coach parents/guardians in the use of child restraint systems. Provides workshops and clinics in the community which allow parents to have their seats inspected and will assist with the correct installation if needed. If the seat is a forward facing one, have anchor bolt already installed. Call for appointment for car seat inspections, bring vehicle manual and child seat manual to appointment. No fee, donation accepted.
 
OPP Child Restraint / Car Seat Inspection Clinics:
Volunteers offer free public clinics designed for persons interested in having their installed child restraint inspected. The inspection process takes approximately one (1) hour per seat. Clinics are held at various dates, times, and locations with limited appointment space available.  Finalized dates will be posted at www.opp.ca.
 
Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada Technician:
Can locate a technician from their website: https://www.cpsac.org/find-a-tech/. Simply use the map to zoom into your city / town and click on the red pin (in-person) or blue pin (virtual) to reveal contact details for a technician in your area. Service may require fee, lower fee or no fee - contact technicians to determine the level of service they provide and what fees, if any, they charge.

Watch this video:

Ontario Ministry of Transportation - Car Seat Safety Tips

Review:

Car Seats – The Right Way! (PDF 4.05 MB)

Does My Child Need a Booster Seat? (PDF 287 KB)


Choosing and installing your car seat

Visit:

Parachute - Choosing the right car seat English / Francais

Government of Canada - Child Car Seat Safety English / Francais

Ontario Ministry of Transportation – Choosing a child car seat English / Francais

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