Car Seat Safety
To keep children safe in vehicles, parents and other caregivers need to stay up-to-date on the latest information for car seats, booster seats and seat belts.
Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death in Canadian children (Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC))
Keeping your child safe is the priority. When you use them correctly, child car seats and booster seats can greatly reduce the risk of injury or death in a crash. Remember, the back seat is always the safest place for your children.
STAGE 1: Rear-Facing Seats:
- Babies have weak neck and back muscles. Their necks need extra support while in a car. A rear-facing infant seat will support your baby’s neck in a sudden stop or crash. Some child car seats can be used for more than one stage of your child’s development.
STAGE 2: Forward-Facing Seats:
- Forward-facing seats are for older children with stronger back and neck muscles. Use a forward-facing seat until your child reaches the maximum weight or height limits for the child car seat.
STAGE 3: Booster Seats:
- Don’t hurry to move your child to a booster seat. Your child must weigh at least 18kg (40lbs) and meet the height guidelines in your booster seat user guide.
- Children should continue to use their booster seat until they have outgrown the seat’s weight and or height limits shown on the seat’s instruction labels.
STAGE 4: Seat Belts:
- Don’t hurry. It is best to keep your child in a booster seat as long as possible. Once your child has outgrown a booster seat, you must make sure that the seat belt fits correctly
All vehicles and child passenger seat restraints are different, so consult the vehicle owner’s manual and your car seat instruction manual for proper installation and fit.
Services related to this information:
- Contact your Public Health Nurse
- 811 HealthLine (Newfoundland & Labrador) – Call 811 or 1-888-709-2929 / TTY 1-888-709-3555