Is my child buckled-in properly?
Parents are often confused about what safety seats they need to protect their
children in the car.
There are four recommended stages of child restraint usage:
| Rear-facing Infant Seat |
Birth until at least one year old |
| Forward-facing Child Seat |
From approx. one year old to approx. four years |
| Booster Seat |
From approx. four years to at least nine years |
| Seatbelt |
From nine years of age onwards |
Height and weight limits differ by manufacturer, so it's important to check
the manufacturer's recommended height and weight for each particular seat.
In Canada we have achieved good usage rates with the infant and child seats.
However, in its June 2004 report "Booster
Seat Use in Canada: A National Challenge", Safe Kids Canada reported that
less than 30% of Canadian children age four to nine regularly use booster seats.
This means that an estimated 1.8 million children are at risk of serious injury,
as they are not properly protected. As children grow older, the use of car and
booster seats declines, despite the fact they are important in helping you manage
the risks facing your child when traveling in the family vehicle. Both provinces,
Quebec and Ontario now have laws regarding the necessary use of booster seats. Nova
Scotia has legislation that will come into effect in January 2007.
Booster seats provide 60 per cent more protection than seat belts alone and
substantially reduce the risk of serious injury.
When is it time for a booster seat?
All children should use a booster seat from the time they outgrow a forward-facing
child seat. On average, this would be at approximately four years of age or 18
kg (40 pounds) in weight. Some car seats can be used to 22 kg (48 pounds). Be
guided in your judgment by your car seat manual or instructions.
A booster seat lifts the child up in order to better position a seatbelt correctly
over the child's body, across the chest bone and hip bones, for safety. Seatbelts
are designed to cross these bones because they are the strongest parts of the
body. In a crash, the bones absorb the impact instead of the soft tissues of
the abdomen and organs, reducing the possibility of serious injury.
What do I need to do?
Purchase a booster seat approved for use in Canada. A new seat will have a
label indicating Canadian approval. Consult a list of car seat manufacturers
to find an appropriate booster seat. A high-back booster seat is necessary unless
your vehicle has adjustable headrests that will support your child's head and
neck. If your vehicle has headrests in the back, you can use a booster seat
without a back, called a low back booster.
When using a booster seat, check the manufacturer's directions and use the
vehicle seatbelt to buckle your child in properly so that the lap belt sits
snugly below his or her abdomen, low across the hips, with the shoulder belt
across the chest, never touching the neck.
When is it safe to graduate out of the booster seat to seatbelts only?
Most children are not ready to be in a seatbelt only - without a booster seat
- until they have reached a height of at least 145 cm (4 ft. 9 inches) and a weight of
at least 36 kg (80 lbs.). Most
children do not reach this height until they are eight years old. As of September 1st
2005, children who are under these three criteria must be restrained in a booster seat.
This 3-step test can help you decide if your child is ready for a seatbelt.
It is safe to graduate a child from a booster seat to the adult seatbelt system
if you can answer "yes" to all of the following questions:
- Does the lap belt fit low, over the hipbones and under your child's belly
area?
- Does the shoulder belt go over your child's shoulder and across the middle
of his or her chest, not touching the neck?
- Do your child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the vehicle seat,
and can he or she remain sitting against the back of the vehicle seat without
slouching?
No one should ever ride in a car without being buckled up! If your child
must ride in a car without a booster seat, it is always
best to buckle up your child in a regular seatbelt. Using a seatbelt is better
than riding with no protection at all.
Finally, be sure that a grandparent or other caregiver transporting your child
has the proper car seat or booster seat to keep your child safe.
You can get more information on transporting children safely by contacting:
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This article was prepared for the Canadian Health Network by 
