Did You Know?

Children are not always buckled up.
A Transport Canada survey shows that the seat belt use among back-seat passengers - the majority of whom are children - is less than 60 per cent.

Four out of five car seats are not used properly. Common errors: Many car seats are not installed properly, and the harnesses holding children are often too loose.

Proper use of car seats reduces the likelihood of being injured or killed by as much as 75 per cent. Seat belt use reduces the likelihood of deaths and injuries by 55 per cent.

Nearly half of Canadians don't use booster seats for their children once they outgrow forward-facing car seats. Booster seats are needed to provide protection to children who weigh 40 to 60 pounds - until approximately age eight.

More than half of Canadians allow children under 12 to sit in the front seat. The back seat of a car is the safest place for children 12 and under.

Tips for Safe Kids
Properly restrain your children. Read both the car seat manufacturer's instructions and your car owner's manual to ensure correct installation of a car seat in your particular car. Use seat belts properly.

Make sure the car seat is appropriate for the height, weight, and development of your child.

Never place a rear-facing car seat in a vehicle seat equipped with an airbag.

Children 12 and under should sit in the back seat - generally the safest part of the vehicle.

Move your child into a booster seat once he/she outgrows a car seat. Booster seats fit children over 40 pounds and raise them up so that the seat belt fits properly. Booster seats fit children up to at least 60 pounds, and new booster seats protect children up to 80 or even 100 pounds.

Choosing a Car Seat:
The car seat must have a CMVSS (Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) sticker, indicating it has been certified for use in Canada. Don't use a U.S. car seat - they have different standards.
Don't use a car seat if it is more than 10 years old. Check yours.
Don't use a car seat if it has been in a crash or if you aren't sure if it has been in a crash.
Don't use a car seat if the manufacturer's instructions are missing.
Don't use a car seat if any of the parts are cracked, torn, rusted, discoloured or missing.

Installing a Car Seat:
Not all car seats fit properly in every car. Ensure that the car seat can be correctly installed in your vehicle.
The harness should be snug - no more than one finger's width should fit between the harness and the child's collar bone.
Make sure the seat belt holding your child's car seat is in the right place on the car seat and it is pulled TIGHT. The car seat should move very little sideways or from front to back. Use a locking clip to keep the seat belt tight.
Chest clips should be positioned on the harness straps at the level of the child's arm pits.
When installing forward facing car seats, you must use a tether strap to attach the car seat to an anchor bolt. Cars made after 1989 are required to have pre-drilled locations for anchor bolts. Check your car owner's manual for the exact location in your car or ask a dealer or garage to help you.

Sizing a Booster Seat:
Make sure the vehicle seat back gives the child proper head and neck support. Look at the middle of your child's ear. If the booster seat raises the child so the middle of the ear is above the vehicle seat back on head restraint, the child could be injured. If this is the case, use a high back booster seat or the vehicle seat belt on its own.

Seat Belts: When your child is ready for the seat belt, make sure the lap belt is worn snug and low over the hips, not over the abdomen. The shoulder belt must be placed over the shoulders and across the chest. Do not place the shoulder belt under the child's arm or behind the back as this can result in serious injury or death.
Set a good example and wear your own seat belt as well.
Don't use seat belt adjustment devices for your children; they're not recommended.

Travel Toys:
Give your child only soft toys to play with. A metal toy could injure someone if it flew out of a child's hand.