After hearing too many horror stories of children being hurt during a collision, I have to try to get more information out there about child car seats and how to properly install them. I became a Child Restraint Technician because I want to help people keep their children safe.
There are many places that do car seat checks, please find one in your local area. If you have trouble finding one, please contact me and I’ll do my best to help you!
Car seat installation tips
- Always read the manual that came with the car seat and the vehicle that it is being installed in.
- Always have the proper child seat for the height and weight of your child — See this site for Ontario information
- You can use either the LATCH or the vehicle’s seat belt — use the one that give you the tightest fit
- The car seat should not be able to move more than 1 inch side to side
- Put your weight in the car seat when installing it (kneel in the seat) — this will push the seat into the passenger seat
- Always check the car seat every time you put your child in – you can never be too careful
- As it is winter time, try not to put bulky winter coats on the children as this causes the seat straps to not be tight enough (during a collision the amount of pressure applied will compress a snow suit and make the straps really loose) – even though you think the seat belt straps are tight enough, they’re not.
- This also applies to 3rd party “cuddle bags” for infant seats – do not put anything behind your child between them and the car seat. The ones that just go over the car seat are much safer. (read about compression above)
Rear-facing infant seats
- All provincial rules vary, please check your laws
- MUST BE AT 45 DEGREES (and don’t assume that the leveler on the side of the seat or base is correct – they are not always accurate) – the 45 degree angle helps baby to keep their head back and able to breath. If your babies head falls forward and looks uncomfortable, there’s a good change that your seat is not at 45 degrees
- Straps in the car seat must be at or below the infants shoulders
- You must be able to get no more than one finger width between the strap and your infant’s collar bone
- The chest clip must be at their arm pits
- Read your car seat’s owner’s manual to see if the carrying handle can be left up (most cannot) – it is recommended to always put the handle down as if it was to break during a collision it would be projectile aimed right at your child’s face
Rear facing child seats
- All provincial rules vary, please check your laws
- it is recommended to leave children rear facing as long as possible. — at minimum, children must remain rear facing until they are over 20lbs and are at least one year old (every location is a little different, please check with your provincial or state laws)
- MUST BE AT 45 DEGREES (and don’t assume that the leveler on the side of the seat or base is correct – they are not always accurate) – the 45 degree angle helps baby to keep their head back and able to breath. If your babies head falls forward and looks uncomfortable, there’s a good change that your seat is not at 45 degrees
- The chest clip must be at their arm pits
- Straps in the car seat must be at or below the infants shoulders
- You must be able to get no more than one finger width between the strap and your infant’s collar bone
Forward facing child seats (with 5pt harness) (20 – 40 lbs minimum)
- All provincial rules vary, please check your laws
- Must be secured with the LATCH or passenger seat belt AND the tether (please make sure you read your owners manual for your vehicle to know the proper attachment of the tether)
- The tether must be very tight as this is what hold the car seat back during a collision
- Child seat straps must be at or above your child’s shoulders
- You must be able to get no more than one finger width between the strap and your child’s collar bone
- The chest clip must be at their arm pits
- Please read about winter coats above
Booster seats (over 40lbs and over 40″)
- Ontario law states that the child must be over 40lbs AND over 40″ tall
- keep in mind the child’s ability to stay properly seated in a booster; there are many seats on the market now that allow for a higher weight in a 5-point harness
- Place booster on the seat (no “installation” is required – no LATCH or tether)
- Child wears the car’s passenger seat belt just like you do
- shoulder strap need to sit across the collarbone and across the chest
- lap belt needs to rest across the hips, not the tummy
This list is just the beginning. If you are a car seat tech and would like to help me with this let, just let me know. I want it to be as accurate as possible.
*updated on May 4, 2010
