 Forward Facing Car Seats
When your child grows to big for the rear-facing seat, that is when he or she is at least 1 year of age and according to manufacturer’s height and weight recommendations, use a forward-facing seat or a convertible car seat in the forward-facing position.
These car seats face the front of the vehicle.
Your child should be in a forward-facing car seat with harness straps until he or she reaches the height or weight limit for the car seat. Most car seats can be used forward-facing until your child is between 40 and 48 pounds (kg) and until about 40 inches tall.
Use a forward-facing car seat with harness and tether straps for as long as possible while your child is within the height or weight limits of the car seat.
A forward-facing car seat is held in place by the vehicle's seat belt or LATCH system and by a tether strap that is fastened to an anchor bolt in your vehicle.
The tether strap is an essential part of safe transportation for children who are forward-facing. The tether strap holds the seat tightly to the vehicle which reduces the amount of stress to the child’s neck and spinal column. The tether also reduces the amount of sideways movement of the head in a crash or sudden stop.
For specific information on forward-facing car seats, please see Safe Kids Canada’s Car and Booster Seat Listing below. This listing will provide you with height and weight recommendations for each seat from the manufacturer.
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Securing Your Child in the Forward Facing Car Seat
Make sure the harness is tight and lie flat against your child's body. You should be able to put only one finger between your child's chest and the harness.
Most car seats come with a chest clip to keep the harness straps in place. Chest clips should be positioned on the harness straps, high on your child’s chest, at the level of the child's armpit. Check the car seat instructions to make sure the harness straps are threaded through the car seat correctly.
The seat belt or LATCH anchors, also called Universal Anchorage System (UAS), should hold your child's car seat so that it does not move much from side to side or front to back (no more than 2.5 cm or 1 in.). To test your seat, hold it where the seat belt or anchors connect to the car seat and try to move it from side to side and front to back.
All children 12 years of age or younger should ride in the back seat. It is generally the safest place in the vehicle. Add-on devices such as bunting bags and head huggers are not recommended. Use extra blankets on top of a child who is already secured with the harness. A rolled receiving blanket will support your baby’s head safely. Click here to go to the Transport Canada Web site for more information.
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Listing of available Car and Booster Seats in Canada
(These are downloadable PDFs, updated August 2006)
Car Seat Clinics held by Safe Kids Canada Partners (PDF)
Car Seat Manufacturers
| Company Name |
Telephone Number |
| Britax Child Safety Inc. |
1-888-427-4829 |
|
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| Cosco Inc. |
1-800-387-2229 |
| Dorel Industries Inc. |
1-800-387-2229 |
| Elfe Juvenile Products (Graco, Century) |
1-800-667-8184 |
| Evenflo Company, Inc. |
1-937-773-3971 |
| Fisher-Price Canada |
1-800-567-7724 |
| Jupiter Industries |
1-800-465-5795 |
| Strolex Corp. |
1-416-285-8484 |
| Columbia Medical Manufacturing Corp. |
1-800-454-6612 |
| Sammons Preston Canada Inc. |
1-800-665-9200 |
| SOS Rehab |
1-800-667-3422 |
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Vehicle Manufacturers
| Company Name |
Telephone Number |
| Acura |
1-888-922-8729 |
| BMW (Land Rover) |
1-800-567-2691 |
| Chrysler Canada |
1-800-465-2001 |
| Ford Canada |
1-800-565-3673 |
| General Motors |
1-800-263-3777 |
| Honda |
1-888-946-6329 |
| Hyundai |
1-800-461-8242 |
| Mazda |
1-800-263-4680 |
| Mercedes-Benz |
1-800-387-0100 |
| Nissan |
1-800-387-0122 |
| Saturn, Saab, Isuzu |
1-800-263-1999 |
| Subaru |
1-905-568-4959 |
| Suzuki |
1-905-889-2600 |
| Toyota |
1-800-263-7640 |
| Volkswagen |
1-800-374-8389 |
| Volvo |
1-800-663-8255 |
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| Page published on 2006-08-10 |
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