Rear-facing infant car seats

Use a rear-facing seat from birth until your baby reaches the maximum weight and height limits listed in the car seat manual. Some car seats are made for children up to 20 kg (45 lb.).

Rear-facing seats offer the best protection because they distribute the impact of a collision along the back of the car seat, which protects your baby’s fragile head and neck.

Installation

• The safest position for a car seat is the vehicle’s rear middle seat. If you have more than one child, place the youngest in the middle as their smaller bodies are not strong enough to withstand the impact of a crash.
• Use a seatbelt or Universal Anchorage System (UAS) to install the seat. Don’t use both.
• Check the tension where the UAS or seatbelt is routed through the car seat. You should not be able to move it more than one inch in any direction.
• At least 80 per cent of the infant car seat must be in contact with the vehicle seat.
• Check the level indicators to ensure the infant car seat is at a 45 degree angle

Check the fit

✔ The harness straps should be in the slot that is level with or below your child’s shoulders and fit snugly so you can fit only one finger between your baby’s collarbone and the straps. The straps should lay flat.

✔ The straps should be at or below the shoulders to prevent your baby from sliding out of the car seat.

✔ The chest clip should be at armpit level.

Forward-facing child car seats

Once your child reaches the weight and height limits of their rear-facing seat, they can move into a forward-facing seat. Look for a forward-facing seat that will meet the weight and height requirements of your child for as long as possible. Some seats are made for children up to 30 kg (65 lb.).
The harness straps in a forward-facing seat are designed so the impact is taken where your child’s body is strongest — the shoulders and chest, and then directed down to the hips.

Installation

• The safest position for a car seat is the vehicle’s rear middle seat. If you have more than one child, place the youngest in the middle, as their smaller bodies are not strong enough to withstand the impact of a crash.
• The tether strap must always be used to secure the top of the car seat to the vehicle.
• Use a seatbelt or UAS to install the seat. Don’t use both.
• Check the tension where the seatbelt or UAS is routed through the car seat. You should not be able to move the car seat more than one inch in any direction.

Check the fit

✔ The harness straps should be in the slot that is level with or above your child’s shoulders and fit snugly so that you can fit only one finger between your child’s chest and the straps. The straps should lay flat.

✔ The middle of your child’s ears should not come past the top of the seat.

✔ The chest clip should be at armpit level.

Booster seats

Once your child reaches the weight and height limits of their forward-facing seat, they can move into a booster seat. Because weight limits can vary among forward-facing seats (some can accommodate children up to 30 kg or 65 lb.), please check the manual for the weight limits of your specific car seat.

Provincial law requires children to remain in booster seats until they’re at least 145 cm (4'9"), 36 kg (80 lb.) or nine years old.

Without a booster seat, a seatbelt rides too high on a child’s stomach and neck and can cause serious injuries. Research shows that booster seats protect children from serious injury by more than 45 per cent.

How to choose a booster seat

If your vehicle does not have a head rest, choose either:

• a high-back booster seat that provides head and neck support. Some models convert from a forward-facing seat with a harness to a high-back booster seat.
• an adjustable booster seat that provides adjustable head and neck support as your child grows

If your vehicle has a head rest, choose a backless booster seat, an adjustable booster seat or a backless booster seat that has a seat base and arm rests.

Installation

• The safest position for a car seat is the vehicle’s rear middle seat. If you have more than one child, place the youngest in the middle, as their smaller bodies are not strong enough to withstand the impact of a crash.
• Keep an empty booster seat buckled up to prevent it from moving and hitting you in a sudden stop or crash.

Check the fit

✔ The shoulder strap should fit over the shoulder and across your child’s chest.

✔ The lap belt should sit snug on their hips.

✔ The middle of your child’s ears should not come past the top of the vehicle’s head restraint. The head restraint ensures your child has adequate head and neck protection in a collision.

✔ The bend of your child’s knees should be in line with the vehicle seat.

✔ Never use just a lap belt to secure a child in a booster seat. Always use a shoulder and lap belt.

✔ Never allow your child to place the shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back as this can cause serious injury.

Seatbelts

For your child’s safety, provincial law requires children to remain in booster seats until they’re at least 145 cm (4'9"), 36 kg (80 lb.) or nine years old.

It’s important not to rush to using a seatbelt alone because it’s not designed for a child — the shoulder strap rides too high and could cause serious injuries.

Check the fit

✔ Sitting up straight, the seatbelt should fit across your child’s shoulder and chest and sit low across the hips.

✔ The middle of your child’s ears should not come past the top of the vehicle’s head restraint. Adjust the head restraint to ensure your child has adequate head and neck protection in a collision.

✔ The bend of your child’s knees should be in line with the vehicle seat.

✔ Never allow your child to place the shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back as this can cause serious injury.

The chances of being fatally injured in a collision can be decreased by as much as 70 per cent if you wear a seatbelt. Shoulder belts further increase your safety.