Frequently Asked Questions - Children's Restraint Systems

If you have a question in regards to child car seats, please email us.

  1. What is the best and safest car seat that I should buy?

    It is important that you purchase a car seat that meets the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) which will be indicated on the seat with a decal or through a printed statement. Car seats purchased in the United States may not meet these standards. You should always purchase a seat where you can return it if it does not fit securely in your vehicle. Somemodels of car seats may fit better than others.

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  2. When should I turn my car seat from rear-facing to forward-facing?

    Children should remain rear-facing as long as possible and until they:
    In crash situations, the forces of the collision are distributed over the whole back of a rear-facing car seat, reducing the potential for injury to the child, particularly in the delicate head and spinal areas.

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  3. How long are children's car seats and booster seats safe?

    All children's car seats and booster seats sold in Canada have an expiry or useful life date on them, even though this is not required by regulation. Manufacturers do this to inform current owners and prospective buyers of the potential risks of using car seats and booster seats that may be missing important parts, labels or instructions and/or may have an unknown history, which could lead to less than optimal safe performance when needed. For additional information and a useful "Life-List" by manufacturers/brand names, please see Recommended Useful Life of Child Restraint Systems.

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  4. My car seat doesn't fit properly in the center position of the back seat. Which side is safer for me to install the car seat?

    Statistics show that the frequency of left versus right side-impact collisions are relatively equal. The decision on which side to use will depend on the fit of the seat and convenience of the driver. Rear-facing seats are sometimes too large to fit behind the driver, so the passenger side is often chosen. Sometimes parents would prefer to use the curb side of the car for loading their children into and out of the vehicle.

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  5. I was told that head huggers and bunting bags are not safe to use with car seats. Why not?

    Head huggers and bunting bags that are purchased separately from the car seat are not regulated, and do not have safety standards attached to them. The concern relates to the extra padding that they add behind the child which affects the tightness of the harness system. Excess padding will compress in a collision, loosening the harness straps. If the harness straps loosen too much, there is an increased risk of the child parachuting out of the car seat. Transport Canada has published a notice regarding after-market devices such as head huggers and bunting bags. This notice can be read at the following site: http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/notices/Dser/d200401/menu.htm

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  6. Are there any booster seats on the market that I can use with a lap-only seatbelt?

    At the present time, there are no car seats being sold on the new market that are used with lap-only seatbelts. Booster seats work best with lap and shoulder belts. Previously sold abdominal shield boosters could be used with lap-only belts, but they are no longer produced. For parents with multiple children this can be a challenge. Although it is not ideal, sometimes the only alternative is to have the booster seat aged child riding in the front seat. Front seats that carry children should be moved back away from the air bag as much as possible. If airbags can be deactivated, then it would be advisable to do so in this situation.

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  7. I have a motor home without seatbelts. How do I secure my children safely?

    Motor homes may or may not come with seatbelt provisions that children can use. If they do not have seatbelt provisions, then securing a child's car seat is impossible. Contact the manufacturer of the motor home to see if a retrofit seatbelt kit is available.

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  8. My child is 7 years old, but he exceeds the height of 4'9". Do they need a booster seat?

    Information on the new booster seat legislation is available on the Ministry of Transportation website at: www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/about/bill73.htm

    A child can start using a seatbelt alone once any one of the following criteria is met:

    Therefore a child who has reached the height or weight maximum would not need a booster seat according to this law, even if they are only 7 years old.

    However, let's look at the reason for the legislation.

    Seatbelts are made for adult bodies, and children are often too small to fit them once they exceed the forward-facing car seat weight or height limits. In order for seatbelts to safely protect a child, they must fall over the strong bone structures of the body - the lap portion of the seatbelt over the hips and the should strap must fall across the middle of the chest and across the shoulder. A seatbelt should never fall over the soft parts of the body - the stomach or the neck. This is true for adults too! Seatbelts that rest on the soft body parts have been known to be responsible for serious internal injuries or death in collision situations.

    Booster seats help to raise a child's hips so that the seatbelt system fits them across the strong bone areas of their body. A child is ready to move out of the booster seat when they exceed the maximum weight or height limit of the booster seat, and when they can sit in the vehicle seat with the seatbelts over the proper parts of their body. If their legs are long enough to comfortably bend at the knee over the vehicle seat, they are usually ready for a seatbelt. Remind them not to slouch! Winter clothing can present new challenges for both children and adults. Make sure this bulky winter wear does not allow the seatbelt to slid up over the soft parts of the body for anyone in your car.