Child car seat safety

Premature graduation from the appropriate car seat is a major hazard to safe transportation of newborns, infants and children.

By law, kids must be buckled up in a child restraint made for their weight, height and age. Read provincial/territorial regulations for details.

Enforcement of demerit point deductions and fines may occur for failing to use child car seats or for using them incorrectly under the provincial/territorial highway traffic laws.

SGI said of the 132 children (8-years-old and younger) who were injured in a vehicle in 2011, only 14 per cent were in a booster seat while 69 per cent were restrained with a seat belt that may have been inappropriate.

The Canadian Paediatric Society says children aged 5- to 12-years-old are at greater risk of having Lap-belt syndrome, as they are not in the appropriate safety restraints for their size. Children are especially vulnerable to these injuries because their bodies are less developed than those of adults.

Lap-belt syndrome refers to injuries to the abdominal region and to the lumbar spine associated with seat belt restraints. Typically, it involves a tear or perforation of the intestine and its mesentery which is accompanied by damage to the mid-lumbar spine.

Important child car seat tips:

• Kids 12 and under should always be in the back seat. Most cars have front seat air bags, and these can hurt small children if the bags inflate during a crash or sudden stop.
• Don’t rush to move children up from one stage to the next. As long as they are in the right weight/height range of the seat, they are safest in that seat.
• A snug harness means that only one finger should be able to fit between the harness and your child at the collarbone.
• Some child seats can be used for more than one stage. Read the car seat user guide for details.
• Not sure if the child seat is installed correctly? Visit a certified technician or community car seat clinic to have it checked.
• Always replace a child seat that was in a collision. Even if the child wasn’t in the child seat when the crash occurred, the seat could still be damaged.
• Child seats have expiry dates
• If the shell or materials on the seat are torn or damaged, replace the entire seat.
• lace children in the middle of the back seat whenever possible. However, a booster seat needs to be used with a lap/shoulder seat belt and should be placed accordingly.
• Ensure harness straps lie flat (not twisted).
• A child should never be left unattended in a restraint system in or out of the vehicle.
• Do not leave loose items in the vehicle, as they may hit and hurt someone in a sudden stop.

Important do not’s

• Don’t use child car seats with door-mounted seatbelts or motorized seat belts.
• Don’t wrap the baby in a blanket before putting on a harness. Nothing should interfere with the straps that hold the baby in the car seat. Instead, put the straps on first and then cover the baby with blankets.
• Don’t install the infant car seat too upright. A newborn’s head will flop forward, which could close the baby’s airway, making it difficult to breathe. Place a rolled towel under the front of the car seat, this will tip the seat back for a better angle (about 45 degrees)
• Don’t use household booster seats in your vehicle. They are not designed for transportation purposes.
• Premature and small infants should use restraints that do not have shields, abdominal pads or arm rests, as they could cause injury to the child’s neck or face during a collision.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Buying a child car seat:

• Must have a sticker affixed to it stating the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) have been met
• Do not buy if the metal parts are rusted
• Make sure it has not been recalled by Transport Canada 
• Use child’s weight to gauge which safety instrument that is correct for them.
• Send in the product registration card after purchasing so you will receive notice of any recalls.
• Do not buy if not 100 per cent sure of the child car seat’s crash history and condition.

Check both your car owner’s manual and the child seat user guide for more information.

Child seat graduation system

(Birth- 22lbs) Rear-facing seats

Rear-facing seats are placed at a 45-degree angle so that a baby’s head is supported properly, which makes it easier for them to breathe. A snug harness will keep babies safe in a sudden stop or crash. Keep children in rear-facing seat for as long as they are still in the weight/height range of the seat itself.

Babies have weak neck and back muscles. Their necks need extra support while in a car. A rear-facing infant seat will support baby’s necks in a sudden stop or crash.

Always install the rear-facing seat in the back seat of the vehicle. This way, children are as far away as possible from the front seat air bags if they inflate during a crash.

Remember: Infant car seats are not cribs

(22lbs-40lbs) Forward-facing seats

Children who outgrow a rear-facing seat are ready for forward-facing seats at around 22lbs. These seats are for older children with stronger back and neck muscles.

Forward-facing seats have harness straps that are narrower than a vehicle seat belt and fits children’s small shoulders.

Install forward-facing seats with either the UAS belt or the seat belt that are threaded through the back of the child seat and a tether strap at the top of the child seat. Consult the car owner’s manual and the child seat user guide to learn how to properly install the seat.

Test to make sure forward-facing child seat is installed correctly and tightly:

• Once installed, hold both sides of the child seat (grab it where the seat belt or UAS belt is threaded through the child seat). Try to move the child seat in all directions. The child seat should not move more than 2.5 cm in any direction.
• Next, grab the top of the child seat and pull it forward to check the tightness of the tether. It should not move more than 2.5 cm in any direction.

(40lbs-80lbs) Booster seats

Booster seats are designed to allow children to use seat belts who no longer need forward-facing seats. The booster seat positions a child properly so that the seat belt is correctly located on the lap and shoulder.

Always install the booster seat in the back seat of the vehicle. This way, the child is as far away as possible from the front seat air bags if they inflate during a crash. Read the vehicle owner’s manual and booster seat user guide to learn how to properly install the seat.

A correctly installed booster seat should keep the lap and shoulder belts in place across your child’s hips, chest and shoulders.

How to buckle up your children the right way:

• Booster back– If the booster seat has a back, make sure the middle of the child’s ears are lower than the top of the back of the booster seat.
• Seat belt guide– It should be at or above your child’s shoulder.
• Shoulder belt– Make sure the shoulder belt rests on your child’s shoulder, and never on the neck or arm, or under the arm.
• Lap belt– Should be snug against the child’s hips, and not on their stomach.

Helpful tips:

• Always use a lap belt and a shoulder belt with a booster seat.
• Always buckle up an empty booster seat (or take it out of the vehicle) so it doesn’t bounce around when it is not in use.
• Items that did not come with the new booster seat may not be safe to use. Contact the booster seat manufacturer and ask if these items are safe to use with your new car seat.
• Middle of child’s ear should not be above the back of the seat.

Informational video by Safe Kids Canada on proper booster seat graduation.

1. High-back booster seat- Has a high back and provides head and neck support in a vehicle without head rests. Must be used with a lap/shoulder seat belt assembly.

2. No-back booster seat – Is designed for vehicles that have adjustable head rests. Must be used with a lap/shoulder seat belt assembly.

3. Infant/child booster and child/booster seats – A “2-1” or “3-in-1” seat that is adapted for growing children. It starts as a car seat with harness system for babies and converts into a booster seat with the harness straps removed.

Currently Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nunavut and Northwest Territories do not have mandatory booster seat legislation.

(80lbs-over)Seat belts

It is best to keep children in a booster seat as long as possible. Seat belts are used when children are tall enough to use a seat belt that is properly positioned over their lap and shoulder without needing a booster seat.

According to Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) seat belts decrease the chances of sustaining a serious injury in a crash by as much as 50 per cent.

Shoulder belts should rest on the shoulder, never on the neck or arm. It should never be behind the back or tucked in under the arm. Lap belts should be snug against the hips, and not on the stomach.

Is the child tall enough for a seat belt?

• The child must be able to sit up straight, with his or her back against the back of the vehicle’s seat.
• Your child’s legs should be able to hang over the seat without slouching. Slough makes the lap belt move up over the stomach when it should be over the hips.
• Child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the vehicle’s seat.