Seat belts and child car seats

By the end of this topic you can

• You can wear a seat belt correctly and adjust it for a good fit.
• You can make sure every passenger has a working belt before moving off.
• You can explain your legal duty for passengers under 16.
• You can choose the right stage of child seat for a child's size, using your province's rule.
• You can check that a child seat or booster is installed and used correctly.

What you need to know and understand

• In Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and PEI, the driver is responsible for making sure passengers under 16 are properly buckled up or in the right child seat.
• Transport Canada describes four stages: rear-facing seat, forward-facing seat with harness, booster seat, then the seat belt alone.
• Child seats used in Canada must carry the National Safety Mark.
• Booster rules differ: Ontario requires one under age 8 unless the child reaches 36 kg or 145 cm; BC, Nova Scotia and Manitoba use age 9; Saskatchewan uses age 7.
• Alberta has no booster seat law, although it strongly recommends one.
• Never put a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag.
• Some learner licences do not allow any passengers apart from the supervising driver.

Wearing your own belt properly

Sit upright with the seat set so you can reach the pedals and wheel comfortably, then fasten the belt before you start moving. The lap part should sit low and snug across your hips, not your stomach. The shoulder part should cross your chest and collarbone, away from your neck. Never put the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back, and do not let twisted or frayed belts go unrepaired.

Airbags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them. Sit at least about 25 cm back from the steering wheel airbag.

Children: the four stages and your province's rules

A child moves through the stages based on size, following the limits printed on each seat as well as provincial law. Move a child up a stage only when they have outgrown the current seat, not just because they reach a minimum.

• Rear-facing seat from birth until the seat's rear-facing limit is reached.
• Forward-facing seat with a harness and top tether once the child has outgrown rear-facing.
• Booster seat once the child has outgrown the forward-facing seat; it lifts the child so the adult belt fits.
• Seat belt alone only when the belt sits correctly on the hips and shoulder and the child meets your province's rule.

Five checks before driving with a child

1. Check your own licence conditions allow you to carry the child; in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and the NWT, learners may carry only their supervisor.
2. Use the right seat for the child's size and confirm it has the National Safety Mark.
3. Put the child in the back seat, and never place a rear-facing seat in front of an active airbag.
4. Install the seat tightly using either the seat belt or the universal anchorage system as the manual directs, and attach the top tether on a forward-facing seat.
5. On a booster, make sure the lap belt sits low on the hips and the shoulder belt crosses the chest.

Common mistakes

• Moving off before everyone is buckled. Make a belt check part of every start.
• Letting a child tuck the shoulder belt behind their back. Fix the fit or go back to a booster.
• Using a seat bought from a non-Canadian seller. Check for the National Safety Mark.
• Assuming another province's booster age applies. Follow the rule where you are driving.
• Leaving an empty booster unbuckled. Buckle it in so it cannot fly forward in a crash.

Test yourself: Seat belts and child car seats

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Booster seat rules in Canada
• Car Controls for Beginners in Canada