Why does a baby need to be rear facing?
My baby's head falls forward in his seat when he sleeps. How can I prevent this?
Instead of a booster seat, why can't I use a seat belt adapter?
Which car seat is the safest?
When should I stop using my rear facing car seat?
What is a tether strap? Will I get a ticket if I do not use it?
Where can I get a tether anchor bolt installed?
What are the most common mistakes people make when using their car seats?
When can my child ride in the front seat?
Which location in the vehicle is safest for my car seat?
My vehicle has a side air bag, what do I do?
Why are rear-facing car seats not tethered?
My car seat is five years old. Should I still use it, or how do I dispose of it?
I've seen many car seat accessories that will keep my child warm (instead of a snowsuit), or make them look more snug and comfortable in their car seat. Are they safe to use?
I'm pregnant and am not sure where to place the lap/shoulder belt.
My child has figured out how to unbuckle the chest clip of his car seat. What can I do?
What else do I need to know about children and car seats?
Q: Why does a baby need to be rear facing?
A baby needs to be rear-facing because they do not have the muscle and bone strength in their neck, back and chest to withstand a forward-facing collision. Their heads are large and heavy compared to the rest of their body, and when the head moves forward suddenly during a collision it can cause damage to the spinal cord. In a rear facing position, the force of the crash is absorbed into the shell of the car seat.
Q: My baby's head falls forward in his seat when he sleeps. How can I prevent this?
For rear-facing car seats it is important that the seat is reclined at a 45 degree angle. However, many vehicle seats are sloped and cause the car seat to sit too upright when installed. Some infant carriers have bases with a built in level adjustment to compensate for this slope. For bases that do not have this feature, and for rear facing convertible seats, place a pool noodle (or tightly rolled up towel) underneath the base, at the crease of the vehicle seat.
Q: Instead of a booster seat, why can't I use a seat belt adapter?
Seat belt adapters are not safe for anyone to use. They change the position of the seat belt to areas of the body that can be severely injured in a crash. They are also not regulated by Transport Canada. For more information about car seat and seat belt accessories, see Transport Canada's Third-Party Aftermarket Products for Children's Restraint Systems consumer information notice.
Q: Which car seat is the safest?
All car seats sold in Canada must meet Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS), but not all car seats will fit in all vehicles. The type of vehicle seat belt (or LATCH) system and the contour of the vehicle seat may not allow some car seats to be held in place properly. You may need to try more than one car seat in your vehicle to find the best fit. The Buying a Car Seat fact sheet has tips to help you when shopping for a new car seat. This fact sheet is also available in Chinese, Farsi, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil and Urdu.
Q: When should I stop using my rear facing car seat?
If you are using an infant car seat, they will be ready to come out of that seat then they have reached the maximum height or weight as specified in the car seat manual and on the car seat labels. At that point they are ready for a convertible car seat, used in the rear facing position. A child must stay rear-facing until they are at least 10 kg (22 lbs) and one year of age and pulling themselves to a stand unassisted.
Q: What is a tether strap? Will I get a ticket if I do not use it?
A tether strap is attached to the back top portion of forward facing car seats and fastened to an anchor bolt installed in the frame of the vehicle. The tether limits how far forward the car seat will move in a crash or a sudden stop. By law police officers can issue a ticket if the tether strap is not used, or if it is not used correctly. If your car seat does not have one already attached to it, check the label on the car seat to make sure it complies with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 213 – if there is no label or the label does not state compliance you should not use this car seat. If the label does state compliance, you can purchase a tether strap at stores where car seats are sold or from your car seat manufacturer.
Q: Where can I get a tether anchor bolt installed?
All passenger vehicles (excluding convertibles, minivans, sport utility vehicles and light pick-up trucks) manufactured after January 1989 have pre-drilled holes for tether anchor bolts. Your car dealership will be able to provide you with an anchor bolt appropriate for your vehicle and in some cases they will install it free of charge. As of September 1999, all new passenger vehicles have factory-installed, user-ready anchor, and as of September 2000, all new light trucks, minivans and sport utility vehicles have a specified number of anchor bolts already installed. Check the vehicle owner's manual for the location of the bolt, as they vary from vehicle to vehicle.
Q: What are the most common mistakes people make when using their car seats?
Car seats checked across Canada indicate that the four most common mistakes made are:
· The child is not in the correct car seat
· The shoulder harness is not used properly (too loose or in incorrect slots)
· The seat belt (or LATCH/UAS belt) is not tight enough
· Tether straps are not used or used incorrectly
Q: When can my child ride in the front seat?
Transport Canada highly recommends that children under 13 should ride in the back seat of the vehicle, especially if there is a passenger side air bag.
Q: Which location in the vehicle is safest for my car seat?
You should read your vehicle manual to find out if there are any locations in the vehicle where a car seat should not be installed. Also, if you are installing a car seat with the LATCH/UAS system, many vehicles do not have anchors for the middle location. If you can tightly install your car seat in all three back seat locations, the back centre position is the ideal location because it is furthest away from any side impact collision.
Q: My vehicle has a side air bag, what do I do?
It would be best to read your vehicle manual to find out if there are any precautions you need to take when installing a car seat or seating your child beside side air bags. To date, there haven't been any significant concerns raised for babies/children sitting in properly installed car seats or booster seats. Transport Canada's How to Protect Children in Vehicles with Side Air Bags fact sheet has additional information regarding side air bags.
Q: Why are rear-facing car seats not tethered?
Rear facing car seats are designed to rock towards the point of impact to absorb the force of the collision into the shell of the car seat. Please note that there are a few car seat models that recommend (or have as an option) tethering in a rear-facing position. The vehicle tether anchor locations that meet Canadian crash-testing standards are for forward-facing car seats. If your car seat manual is advising you to tether rear-facing, especially to an area of the vehicle other than the designated tether anchor locations, be advised that to date Transport Canada has not crash tested rear-facing car seats with tether straps, so the safety of such an installation is unknown. For more information contact Transport Canada at 1-800-333-0371.
Q: My car seat is five years old. Should I still use it, or how do I dispose of it?
Each car seat manufacturer has a specific expiry date for their models, ranging from 5 to 8 years from the date of manufacture, based on their own research and crash-tests. New car seats often have the expiry date moulded right into the plastic shell of the car seat. Otherwise locate the label on the car seat that shows the model number and date of manufacture, and contact the car seat manufacturer to determine if your seat is still safe to use. To safely dispose of your car seat, cut off all harnessing, remove all padding, and place the shell and car seat parts in separate dark coloured garbage bags.
Q: I've seen many car seat accessories that will keep my child warm (instead of a snowsuit), or make them look more snug and comfortable in their car seat. Are they safe to use?
Often referred to as car seat bunting bags, depending on the design, are considered a safety risk when added to an infant car seat. The additional padding underneath a baby can compress with the force of a collision and create slack in the harnessing, potentially causing injury to your child. Infant car seat covers, which do not come between the harnessing and your baby and/or the shell of the car seat, are a safer option. Alternatively, secure your baby in their car seat harnessing first, and then place blanket(s) over them. Transport Canada's Third-Party Aftermarket Products for Children's Restraint Systems consumer information notice further explains what the concerns are for the various car seat products that are not regulated under CMVSS standards.
Q: I'm pregnant and am not sure where to place the lap/shoulder belt.
There is no reason for pregnant women not to wear a seatbelt. The best way to protect an unborn child is to protect the mother. Pregnant women should always wear a lap-shoulder belt, sitting as upright as possible. The lap belt portion should be placed low across the hips and over the upper thighs; it must lie snugly over the pelvis, never over the abdomen. The shoulder portion should be adjusted for a snug fit and lie between the breasts. See our Pregnancy and Seat Belt fact sheet for more information.
Q: My child has figured out how to unbuckle the chest clip of his car seat. What can I do?
First, check to make sure that the harness straps are tightened enough on your child – you should only be able to put one finger between the collar bone and the shoulder harness. Next, make sure that the chest clip is at the armpit level. Finally, make sure that you have threaded or buckled the chest clip according to the manufacturer's instructions. If your child continues to find a way to unbuckle the chest clip, please call the car seat manufacturer for suggestions.
Q: What else do I need to know about children and car seats?
Beyond the safe installation and harnessing of children in car seats, two situations that could potentially harm your child are leaving them unattended in vehicles, and placing car seats on elevated surfaces.
It is never advisable to leave children unattended in vehicles, especially during the summer months. Parents may think that they can safely leave a child in a vehicle for a quick errand, yet delays of only a few minutes can be dangerous. When the outside temperature is 34°C, even with a window slightly open, the temperature inside a car can reach 52°C in just 20 minutes and approximately 60°C in 40 minutes (National Safe Kids Campaign, 2001). Extreme heat affects infants and small children rapidly, overwhelming their body's ability to regulate temperature. When left in a hot vehicle, a young child's core body temperature can increase three to five times faster than that of an adult, with the risk of permanent injury or death (National Safe Kids Campaign, 2001).
Another area of concern is placing car seats on elevated surfaces such as tables, washing machines, dryers and shopping carts. Children who fall from such heights can suffer skull, neck and spine fractures, with the additional 5 kg (11 lbs) weight of the car seat adding to the impact of the fall.
Car seats are effective in reducing the risk of injury and death when used properly in vehicles. It is not recommended to use infant carriers beyond their function as a car seat; for example, they should not be used as an alternate place to sleep while at home.
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