Tips for Installing Child Car Seats
- Securing your child car seat
- Using tether straps with forward-facing car seats
- Using Universal Anchorage System (UAS) / LATCH
- Using locking clips
- Using harness slots
- Securing your child in the harness
- Positioning your harness straps
- Adjusting chest clips
- Installing away from active air bags
- Installing your rear-facing child car seat on a proper angle
- Booster seats
- Check for the safety label
Tip 1. Securing your child car safety seat
Always install the seat tightly, using your body weight to tighten and fasten the seatbelt. There should be no more than 2.5 cm (1") of movement of the seat from side to side or forward. Each time you place your child in the car safety seat, give it a tug to make sure it is still secure. (For securing the seat with the Universal Anchorage System (UAS - see Tip 3).
Tip 2. Using tether straps with forward-facing car seats
The tether strap for a forward-facing child car safety seat must be used. The tether strap is located on the rear of the child car safety seat and has a hook. The hook is designed to attach the strap to the tether anchorage on the vehicle as specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Ensure the tether is only secured to the designated anchorage point(s) in the vehicle as specified by the manufacturer.
Tip 3. Using Universal Anchorage System (UAS) / LATCH
All new Canadian vehicles manufactured on or after September 1, 2002 come with lower universal anchorage points. Consult the vehicle owner's manual before using the UAS system/LATCH to determine where the anchorage points are located and ensure that the correct method is used as advised by the car seat manufacturer.
Tip 4. Using locking clips
Sometimes locking clips may be required to safely secure a child car safety seat in a vehicle. Consult your owner's manual to see if you need one. If so, install the locking clip on the seatbelt within 13 mm (1/2 inch) of the latch plate.
Tip 5. Using harness slots
Your child car safety seat's harness straps must be positioned correctly by ensuring they pass through the correct slots.
- Rear-facing child car safety seat harness straps should sit at or below the child's shoulders.
- Forward-facing child car safety seat harness straps should sit at or above the child's shoulders.
Tip 6. Securing your child in the harness
Ensure that the harness system is snug enough on your child's chest to allow only one finger width between the strap and the child's collarbone.
Tip 7. Positioning your harness straps
Ensure that harness straps lie flat and they do not twist or fold. Harnesses need to be straightened out each time the child is secured in the seat.
Tip 8. Adjusting chest clips
Properly adjust the chest clips on the harness. They should lie flat against the chest and be positioned at armpit level.
Tip 9. Installing away from active air bags
Always install child car safety seats away from active air bags. The safest place is in the back seat of a passenger car, sport utility vehicle or light truck and either the second or third row in a mini-van.
Tip 10. Installing your rear-facing child car safety seat on a proper angle
Most child car safety seats have a recline position that must be used when in the rear-facing position for an infant (up to 9kg or 20lbs). Check your child car safety seat owner's manual for instructions. For rear-facing seats, if necessary, use a tightly rolled towel or a foam bar (pool noodle) under the base of the child car safety seat to adjust the angle to 45 degrees. A forward-facing child car safety seat should be in the upright position. Make sure that when the seat is turned from rear-facing to forward-facing, the recline feature is adjusted to the upright position.
Tip 11. Booster seats
Booster seats are required for children under the age of eight, weighing more than 18 kg but less than 36 kg (40-80 lbs) and who stand less than 145 cm (4 feet 9 inches) tall.
Booster seats raise a child up so that the adult seatbelt works more effectively. A lap and shoulder belt combination must be used for both the high-back and low-back booster seat. If your vehicle only has lap belts in the rear seat, contact your local dealer regarding retrofitting it with a shoulder belt. Never use a lap belt alone with a booster seat designed to be used with a lap-shoulder combination belt. Your child's head must be supported by the top of the booster or vehicle seat. The shoulder strap must lie across your child's shoulder and the middle of their chest (not the neck or face) and the lap belt must cross low over the hips (not the stomach/abdomen). Never use seatbelt adjusters.
A child can start using a seatbelt alone once any one of the following criteria is met:
- the child turns eight years old;
- the child weighs 36 kg (80 lbs); or,
- the child is 145 cm (4 feet 9 inches) tall.
Tip 12. Check for the safety label
All child car safety seats manufactured for sale in Canada on and after March 15, 1998 must have a Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) label on the seat. Prior to this date, a Statement of Compliance label was attached to the side of the child car safety seat. Both the CMVSS and Statement of Compliance are the manufacturer's certification that the child car seat meets all applicable regulations in effect at the time the child car seat was manufactured.
Also check your child car seat for an expiry date. Some manufacturers indicate an expiry date in the instruction booklet or on the child car safety seat. If there is no expiry date, do not use a seat that is older than 10 years from the date of manufacture.
If you are having difficulty or want more information, contact MTO INFO at 1-800-268-1154 (TTY: 1-866-471-8929), or your local public health unit.
To find a public health unit, check the blue pages of your phone book, call the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care information line at 1-800-268-1154, or visit the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care: Public Health Units.
See also:
- Safe & Secure: Choosing the right car seat for your child
- Choose The right Safety Seat For Your Child
- Frequently Asked Questions: Child Safety Seats and Booster Seats
Related Links
- Transport Canada - Road Safety: Child Safety
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Last modified: January 23, 2009