Because of their small stature and lack of muscle strength, children are vulnerable to greater injury when involved in a car accident. One way to help reduce this risk is to choose the right car seat, install it correctly and buckle them in safely.

The first step is to choose the right car seat for your child’s age, height and weight. These specifications are provided with each type of car seat so that you can make an informed decision. Then comes the daunting task of installing the car seat.  In Ontario, there is a requirement that a child be in a rear-facing car seat until they weigh at least 9 kilograms (20 pounds). In the United-States however, it is recommended that a child be in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. The reason being that when a child is in a forward-facing seat and the car is involved in a crash, the child’s shoulders and body are held back by the harness but his neck and head are thrown violently forward putting tremendous force on his undeveloped head, neck and spine. When a child is in a rear-facing seat, his whole back absorbs the impact forces and his head and neck are pressed back into the seat and remain well protected. Once your child gets to the forward-facing seat phase, it is important that he remains in a 5-point harness as long as possible. Although in Ontario, this requirement ends when your child weighs at least 18 kilograms (40 pounds), it is recommended that your child remain in a 5-point harness car seat until he or she reaches the height and weight limits allowed by the manufacturer. Regular seatbelts are not made for small bodies like that of a child. A 5-point harness provides five points of contact to spread the crash force in addition to ensuring that your child is in the proper position should a crash occur. After your child has outgrown the forward-facing car seat and is mature enough then he can be moved to a booster seat. A booster seat will ensure that the seatbelt functions properly to restrain your child. Mature enough means that your child does not for example lean over to fight with a sibling, pick up dropped toys, hang out of the window, unbuckle his seat belt, etc. If you are concerned that your child may exhibit some of those behaviours,   there are car seats with 5-point harnesses that can accommodate bigger children.

Once you have purchased the car seat, you want to make sure it is properly installed. To do so we recommend that you visit the Seats for Kids website which provides  information as well as dates for inspection clinics in Ottawa. Always remember that the chest clip should be at the armpit level and that you should not be able to pinch any excess harness strap.

During the winter season, it is important to remind ourselves that although it might be the easier and quicker to put our children in their car seat with their big warm winter coat, the extra material from their winter coat might put them at risk. To ensure that your child is properly strapped in, it is recommended that you be able to secure the 5-point harness without having to modify it with or without the winter attire.

We invite you to visit the Seats for Kids website for more information: http://www.seatsforkids.ca/

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