CAR SEATS AND BOOSTER SEATS:

CAR SEATS

AND

BOOSTER SEATS:

What you need to know

Stage 1: Rear-facing car seat

• This can be an infant carrier, a rear-facing convertible or a

rear-facing 3-in-1 car seat

• Never place a rear-facing car seat in the front seat where

there is an active passenger airbag

• Once a baby has reached the maximum height or weight

limit of the infant carrier, he or she should be moved to a

rear-facing convertible or rear-facing 3-in-1 car seat

• For convertible or 3-in-1 car seats, refer to the car seat

manual for weight and height limits and adjustments that

need to be made as you switch from the rear-facing to

forward-facing stage

Using the correct seat for your child’s weight, height and developmental

ability, installing the car seat tightly and properly harnessing your child in

their seat are all vital steps of safe car seat use. Always follow both car seat

and vehicle manuals.

Four stages of safe vehicle travel

CAR SEATS

AND

BOOSTER SEATS:

What you need to know

Adapted with the permission of York Region Community and Health Services

Children under 13 years of age are

safest in the back seat.

Never allow your child to put the

shoulder belt under his or her arm

or behind his or her back.

At a minimum, babies should stay rear-facing until all three of these

milestones are met:

• A minimum weight of 22 lbs (10 kg)

• Able to walk unassisted

• At least one year of age

It is safest to keep your baby rear-facing for as long as he or she is within

the weight and height limits of your convertible or 3-in-1 car seat.

Stage 2: Forward-facing

car seat

• This can be a convertible car seat, a

3-in-1 car seat or a combination car seat

• For 3-in-1 or combination car seats,

refer to the 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

Stage 3: Booster seat

• All booster seats must be used with a

lap-shoulder seat belt

• A booster seat raises your child up so the

seat belt is positioned properly over his or

her body – the shoulder belt should lie

snugly across your child’s chest and

shoulder, while the lap belt should rest

low across his or her hips

In Ontario, a child must be in a forward-facing car seat until he or she

is a minimum of 40 lbs (18 kg). It is safest to keep your child in a

forward-facing car seat with harness straps for as long as he or she is

within the forward-facing weight and height limits of your convertible,

3-in-1 or combination car seat.

Booster seats come in two main types:

• High back booster: this style is necessary when the back of the vehicle

seat is low or does not have an adjustable headrest to provide proper head

and neck protection for your child

• Backless booster: can be used when the vehicle seat is tall or the

headrest can be adjusted to provide head and neck protection for

your child

Stage 4: Seat belt

Your child is ready for a lap/shoulder seat

belt only when:

He or she has a standing height of at least

4’9” (145 cm)

• His or her knees can bend over the edge

of the seat while sitting upright with their

back against the vehicle seat

• The seat belt ﬁts snugly across his or her

shoulder and chest, with the lap belt

sitting across his or her hips

In Ontario, a child must be in a booster seat until he or she is 4’9” (145 cm),

80 lbs (36 kg) or eight years of age. It is safest to keep children in booster

seats as long as they are within the weight and height limits of their

booster seat.

With the large variety of car seat styles available, it is not always easy to

decide which one is the most appropriate for your child’s weight, height

and developmental ability.

New car seats purchased in Canada will have the National

Safety Mark label attached to the seat, indicating that the seat

complies with Canadian regulations and standards

– this is required by law

• Many stores will not accept returns/exchanges of car seats.

If you are unsure of a car seat’s ﬁt in your vehicle, ask a store employee if you

can try installing their ﬂoor model in your vehicle to make sure your vehicle

seat belt or LATCH system is compatible

• Read the manufacturer’s instructions and keep them in a safe place

• Fill out and send in your car seat registration for potential recall notices

Things to keep in mind when shopping for your car

seat or booster seat

Infant carrier (infant car seat)

• Some models have a minimum weight of 4 lbs (1.4 kg),

which would be important for a premature or low birth

weight newborn

• Some allow you to adjust the harnessing height without

having to rethread the straps

• Most will allow you to install the carrier in a vehicle without

the base which can be useful for taxis

Convertible car seat (infant/child car seat)

• Some models have rear-facing weight limits up to or beyond 40 lbs (18 kg),

forward-facing limits up to 65 lbs (29 kg) and height limits well above 40”

(101 cm), allowing you to keep your baby or toddler rear-facing (and then

your child forward-facing in a ﬁve-point harness) for as long as possible

Choosing a car seat or booster seat

• If considering a convertible car seat (rear-facing) for a

newborn, make sure the harness straps are at or below

baby’s shoulders (for many models the lowest harness slot

location is too high for a newborn)

• Some models allow you to adjust the harnessing height

without having to take the car seat out of the vehicle

and rethread the straps

3-in-1 car seat (infant/child/

booster car seat)

• If considering a 3-in-1 car seat (rear-facing) for a newborn,

make sure the harness straps are at or below baby’s

shoulders (for many models the lowest harness slot location

is too high or a newborn)

Combination car seat (child/booster car seat)

• Use this seat as a forward-facing car seat with the harness

and tether strap up to the maximum weight or height limits

for this stage (depending on model)

• Some models allow you to adjust the harnessing height

without having to take the car seat out of the vehicle and

rethread the straps

• Many models have forward-facing limits up to 65 lbs (29 kg)

(along with higher height limits) allowing you to keep your

child in a ﬁve-point harness well beyond the minimum criteria

to switch to a booster

Booster seat

• Many high back models can be converted to a

backless model

• Booster seats need to be secured in your vehicle

when your child is not in it. Some models have LATCH

connectors so you do not always have to remember to

buckle up your booster seat with the seat belt

If you are planning to use an older car seat that you already own or

borrow one from family or a friend, ask yourself these questions to

help you decide if the seat is okay to use.

Does the seat have a label showing that it meets Canada

Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS)?

Car seats sold in Canada must have the National Safety

Mark label (circular sticker with a maple leaf) which

shows that it meets Transport Canada’s Motor Vehicle

Restraint Systems and Booster Seat Safety Regulations

and related Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

(CMVSS). Only car seats that have the National Safety

Mark label are legal for use in Ontario.

Is the car seat expired?

Every car seat manufacturer has dierent expiry dates – often you will ﬁnd the

expiry date for your seat on a label and/or stamped into the plastic shell of the

seat. If you are unsure, contact the manufacturer for expiry information – you

will need the make, model number and date of manufacture when you contact

them. Do not use an expired car seat.

Has the seat been recalled for any safety defects?

Transport Canada issues an advisory notice when a car seat has a defect, does not

meet safety standards or has other problems. Check the Transport Canada website

with your car seat make, model number and date of manufacture to see if there are

any problem(s) with the seat and what you would need to do to have it ﬁxed.

Do you have a copy of the manufacturer’s instructions?

Labels on the car seat do not have all the information you need to know how to use

the seat correctly. With the make, model number and date of manufacture, you can

often download a copy of the instructions from the car seat manufacturer’s website,

or call their customer service phone number to have a copy sent to you.

Has the seat been involved in a motor vehicle collision?

If the seat has been in a collision, even if a baby/child was not in the car seat at the

time, it should not be used. If you do not know the history, do not use the car seat.

Does the seat have all its parts: harness straps, chest clip,

padding, tether straps and bolts? Are there any cracks, bends,

or breaks in the plastic shell or metal frame? Are the harness

straps worn or frayed? Does the buckle area show signs of rust?

The condition of the seat is very important. If you notice any of the above issues,

the seat may not provide your baby or child with proper protection in a collision.

Updated car seat regulations came into eect in Canada on January

1, 2012. It is illegal to sell, loan, rent or give away a car seat that does

not comply. Many car seat manufacturers were testing to these new

regulations before they were required to do so – if the car seat has a date

of manufacture before January 1, 2012, contact the company to check if

it meets current Transport Canada regulations.

Used Car Seats

After selecting the right seat for your child’s weight, height and

developmental ability, properly installing the seat in your vehicle is the

next important step to ensuring your child is riding safe. Both your vehicle

manual and the car seat manual will provide important information about

installing your car seat.

Option 1: Installing a car seat using LATCH

The Lower Anchorage and Tether for Children (LATCH) system,

also called ISOFIX or Universal Anchorage System (UAS), exists

for all vehicles and car seats manufactured after September 1,

2002. Do not use the LATCH system and the vehicle seat belt

together — choose the system that oers the tightest ﬁt.

Each vehicle LATCH position consists of two small bars built into the crease of the

vehicle seat. Many vehicles only have the LATCH system in the outer back seat

positions — refer to your vehicle manual to ﬁnd out where the LATCH positions

are located.

Car seats come with a separate strap

with hooks that will clip onto the LATCH

anchors in the vehicle. Refer to the

car seat manual for information about

the proper way to attach the hooks to

the anchors. For car seats that can be

installed forward-facing, there will also

be a tether strap near the top of the car

seat (see Tethering section).

Many car seat and/or vehicle manufacturers are now requiring car

seat installations to be switched from a LATCH installation to a seat

belt installation once your child reaches a certain weight. If neither

manual indicates when this is necessary, it is recommended to re-install your

car seat with the vehicle seat belt once your child is 40lbs (18 kg).

NOTE

Option 2: Installing a car seat using a seat belt

If your vehicle does not have the LATCH system, the vehicle seating position

you are installing a car seat in does not have LATCH anchor, or you are past the

LATCH weight limits, you will use the vehicle seat belt to install the car seat.

Once properly installed according to vehicle and car seat instructions, the seat

belt or LATCH are equally safe.

Which kinds of belts are in your vehicle?

There are also several kinds of retractors and latch plates to take up slack in the

seat belt and properly secure occupants and car seats. Read your vehicle manual

to ﬁnd out what type(s) of seat belts are in your vehicle.

Lap-shoulder belt with a free-sliding latch-plate: Many vehicles have

a lap-shoulder seat belt system that requires you to fully extend the seat belt

out of the retractor to switch it into a locking mode when installing a car seat.

However, a few vehicles have lap-shoulder belts that only lock in a sudden stop

or collision. To secure this type of seat belt around a car seat, a metal “locking

clip” is required. Your vehicle manual will let you know if you need a locking clip

— use one only if it is required.

How tightly should a car seat be installed?

To help ensure your seat is tight

enough, push down on the car seat

while you tighten the LATCH strap or

seat belt. To check for a tight ﬁt, try

to pull the car seat away from the

back of the vehicle seat and slide it

from side to side where it is belted

— the car seat should not loosen

and should have less than one inch

(2.5 cm) of movement where it

is belted.

Installing a car seat

1110

Tethering for forward-facing car seats

All forward-facing car seats must be installed with the

LATCH strap (or seat belt) and a tether strap. A tether strap

anchors the upper part of a forward-facing car seat to the

frame of the vehicle and limits how far forward a car seat

can move in a collision. The tether strap needs to be tight,

with less than one inch (2.5 cm) movement — push down

on the car seat while tightening the tether strap. Check your vehicle manual

for tether anchor locations; each forward-facing car seat will need its own

tether anchor.

Securing your baby/child

in a car seat

The ﬁnal step in using a car seat correctly

is properly securing your child in his or her

seat. Properly adjusted harness straps will

eectively restrain your child in his or her

car seat in a collision. Your car seat manual

will provide speciﬁc instructions on how to

adjust and tighten the straps.

Harnessing tips:

The harness straps should ﬁt snugly — only one ﬁnger should be able to ﬁt

between the harness and your child’s collar bone. Or try the “pinch test”: pinch

the straps at your child’s collarbone – if extra slack can be gathered between

ﬁngertips, the harness is too loose.

• Rear-facing seats: straps must lie ﬂat and come through the

back of the car seat at or below his or her shoulders

• Forward-facing seats: straps must lie ﬂat and come through

the back of the car seat at or above his or her shoulders

• The top of the chest clip should be at armpit level to hold

the straps in place

Never put additional padding under or behind your child.

This extra padding will compress during a collision, creating

dangerous slack in the harnessing. Extra padding or

accessories that came with the car seat have been

crash-tested with the car seat and can be used according

to the car seat manufacturer’s instructions. Third-party

aftermarket products are items not supplied with the car

seat or made by the car seat manufacturer (e.g., padded infant

car seat bags or child seat belt adjusters).

Transport Canada does not regulate third-party aftermarket products. Car

seat manufacturers generally state in their instructions that no third-party

aftermarket products should be used with their restraint systems. Adding

these products could reduce the eectiveness of the car seat, booster seat or

seat belt and prevent the restraint from performing as designed, resulting

in an injury to your child. It is recommended you contact your car seat

manufacturer before using any aftermarket product.

For more information, visit

www.swpublichealth.ca/your-health/

child-and-family-health/child-safety

Third-party aftermarket products

St. Thomas Site

1230 Talbot St.

St. Thomas, ON

N5P 1G9

519-631-9900

1-800-922-0096

Woodstock Site

410 Buller St.

Woodstock, ON

N4S 4N2

519-421-9901

1-800-922-0096

www.swpublichealth.ca

1312

NOTES

Adapted with the permission of York Region Community and Health Services