Installation tips and tricks:

Boosters and Seat Belts

June 2, 2011 by Wendy S

(edited June 2016)

Let’s start by saying — DO NOT rush your child into a booster.

Booster = Responsibility

In Ontario the minimum requirement is 40lbs AND 40 inches tall. My eldest daughter was 3 1/2 year old when she hit those limits. There was no way she was ready to be in a booster. A child is required to keep the belt in the proper position and not play with it. So if your child is not mature enough to use a seat belt like an adult, do not move them in to a booster (please read the article about “Forward-facing seats”)

Purpose of a Booster

A child, in the province of Ontario,by law, must ride in a booster until they are a minimum of 8 years old or 80lbs or 4’9″ tall.

A booster is used to raise the child up so that the vehicle’s seat belt can be used. A properly used seat belt will have the lap belt across the hips and the shoulder belt across the chest and collarbone.

Types of Boosters

There are 2 types of boosters: booster cushion and high-back booster.

High-back boosters:

this has a supportive back and head protection
the seat belt has a slot to be thread through to help maintain the proper position

Booster cushion:

a simple booster that raises the child to the proper height to put the seat belt in the proper position
a vehicle head rest MUST be adjusted so that it is raised to a height where the child’s ears are in the middle of the headrest.

Give your kid a boost!

Safe Kids Canada is stressing the need for a Canada-wide booster seat law. They did a poll and the results were astounding.

“Most parents of children under 10 years feel that a booster seat is necessary until a child is safely able to use a seat belt correctly. In fact, four out of five households (78 per cent) support the idea of a booster seat law. Mothers are more likely to support this type of law (81 per cent) than fathers (75 per cent).

Yet data indicates that only 30 per cent of Canadian children between four and eight years of age are using booster seats despite existing booster seat laws in the majority of Canadian provinces.2 The remaining children in this age range (1.8 million) are in jeopardy of suffering severe internal injuries during a crash, as a result of using a seat belt too early in their development. Legislation, education and enforcement in combination can increase the correct use of child restraints. Research has shown that a combination of strategies can reduce child passenger injuries.

Safe Kids Canada believes there should be a harmonized approach to booster seat legislation for all Canadian children. Safe Kids Canada is advocating for booster seat legislation that would apply to all children under four feet nine inches (145 cm) in height regardless of where they reside in Canada.”

Ready for a seat belt?

But just because they have reached that height limit, they still may not be ready for a seat belt.

Do this 5-Step Test:

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

Even if your child has reached the minimum height, weight or age requirement to not use a booster, if you answered “no” to any of the above questions, then your child is not ready to sit in a seat belt.

A child has to sit properly on the seat with the vehicle’s seat belt in order to be safe. If the child is going to slouch then the seat belt will not be able to work properly. There are booster seats in the market that allow for higher height and weight limits.

See the 5 Step Test in action – click here!

Please note: I am a certified Child Restraint Technician in Ontario, Canada. Please check your local laws about car seats and always read your vehicle owner’s manual and car seat manual before installing your child seats.

This data will be updated as required.

More Car Seat Information:

Forward-Facing Car Seats

June 1, 2011 by Wendy S

Forward-facing seats are for older children with stronger back and neck muscles. As long as your child fits within the weight and height ranges of his or her rear-facing seat, it is best to use that seat for as long as possible.
(Transport Canada)

5-pt Harness for as long as possible!

5pt harness until 65lbs!

Are you starting to see a pattern?? As with wanting to keep kids rear-facing as long as possible, you want to keep kids in a 5-point harness as long as possible.

(For more information on extended rear-facing, please read yesterday’s post).

Higher weigh forward-facing seats are becoming more common. Some have a maximum weight of 65lbs!

A 5-pt harness spreads the force of a collision across the core of the child’s body and holds them firmly in their seat. Unlike a booster which just positions the child properly in the vehicle’s seat belt and expects that the child’s frame is strong enough to withstand the force of impact.

Every province (and country) has their own laws, which is the minimum requirement for turning a child forward facing and moving them into a booster. But it is recommended to keep them in a 5pt harness as long as possible.

Installation tips and tricks:

If your seat is convertible:

If the seat was used rear-facing then you’ll need to read the instructions for the seat so that you can re-route the LATCH belt through the seat in the proper position.

The LATCH or the vehicle’s seat belt needs to pass through the slot at the back of the seat (rather than under the legs when rear-facing)

Top tether:

A forward facing car seat in Ontario is required by law to use the top tether

The top tether holds the car seat tight to the vehicles seat, restricting forward motion

The tether belt will come from the back of the seat, near the top, and will run over the back of the vehicle’s seat

it clips to the tether bolt
- this can be found either on the back package deck, on the back of the seat or on the floor behind the seat, depending on what vehicle you own
- you must read the vehicle’s owners manual to confirm which seats have a tether bolt so you know where to put the forward facing car seat

if your vehicle doesn’t have a tether bolt, you’ll need to go to a dealership to have one installed before the car seat is installed

Getting the seat in tight enough:

I like to attach the top tether to the tether bolt before I begin
- it keeps it out of the way
attach the LATCH clips to the LATCH anchors
make sure the LATCH belt is flat
twisting will cause weakness during a collision
kneel on the seat
- you are heavier than the baby
- this will get the vehicle’s seat compressed and allow the belt to be as tight as possible
tighten the belt
- no movement is best
- if you try to shake the base and the whole vehicle shakes, then you’re tight enough

Using the vehicle’s seat belt:

(more info coming…stay tuned)

Putting the child in the seat:

the harness must be at or above the child’s shoulders
- this will hold the child back against the seat, minimizing the forward motion in a collision

You must be able to get no more than one finger width between the strap and your child’s collar bone

DO NOT put your child in bulky clothing (ie. heavy or puffy sweaters, snow suits)
- this will not allow the harness to be tightened properly
- don’t kid yourself either – if you think that it’s tight with the snow suit on, take the snow suit off and put the child back in and you’ll see how loose those straps are when the snow suit compresses under the force of the collision

The chest clip must be at their arm pits

DO NOT use any 3rd party add-ons that did not come with the seat
- no protectors on the harness
- no snuggle bags
- many manufactures are starting to have these come as part of the seat
  - this means that they were crash tested with the seat and are safe to use

Why get your car seat checked at a car seat clinic?

we know all the tips and tricks to get your car seat in correctly and tight enough
we’ve installed many different seats in many different cars
we know when to use a locking clip
because you can be fined $240 and 2 demit points (in Ontario) if your child is not in a properly installed and properly used car seat
but even more important, because you can keep your child as safe as possible should be be in a collision

More info about forward-facing seats

Transport Canada — Stage 2: Forward-facing Seats
MTO – Choose the right seat for your child: Toddlers
Safe Kids Canada – Installation Videos

More Car Seat Information:

This data will be updated as required.

Rear-Facing Car Seats

June 1, 2011 by Wendy S

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.
(From Transport Canada)

Rear-facing until age 2 (at least)!

In March 2011, the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) advised that all children 2 and under should ride rear-facing. (Press Release)

This is a very big statement! It shows the importance of keeping a child rear-facing for an extended period of time.

“New research has found children are safer in rear-facing car seats. A 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention showed that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding rear-facing.” (from Press Release)

Every province has their laws, which is the minimum requirement for turning a child forward facing. But it is recommended to keep them rear facing as long as possible.

The spines of small children are not made for riding forward facing

When children are small, their vertebrae are made up of separate peices. These pieces don’t fuse until closer to 6 years old.

In the first picture there is a cervical vertebrae for a one-year old (left), and beside it a cervical vertebrae for a 6 year old (right). Note that the 1-yr old’s vertebrae is still in pieces.

This graphic shows how the bones fuse over time:

From CarSeat.se — http://www.carseat.se/rearfacing/safety-benefits/

With a very weak spinal column due to the make up of the vertebrae, small children could be severely injured if put in a forward-facing car seat too soon.

Installation tips and tricks:

All provincial rules vary, please check your laws as to what seat your child needs and what position it should be installed.

Choosing a seat:

Infant Only

Infant-only seats
- most seats have a maximum weight limit between 22lbs to 35lbs
- the higher the weight the longer you’ll be able to use that seat before the child outgrows it
- most come with a base that can stay in the vehicle to make putting the seat into the car each time easier
- these seats can be installed without the base, but more steps need to be take each time the seat is used in a vehicle

Infant-Child seats

Infant-Child

these are larger than infant seats and installation can be a bit trickier
many manufacturers are starting to make seats with higher weigh limits for rear-facing
- some up to 35lbs
these seats can be used forward facing as well
- I will talk about forward-facing installations tomorrow

Position of the seat when rear-facing:

most car seats 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
- there are a few car seats that have a range of angles that they can use but you must read the instruction manual for the car seat to know what is acceptable for your seat
- to help get this angle, the seat may have a built-in adjustable foot and/or you may need to use pool noodles

not all cars allow for the child seat to be installed rear facing in the middle position
- this can be due to a fold down arm rest
- you must read your car owners manual to know where in the vehicle you can put the seat

The child seat CANNOT touch the passenger seat in front of it
- if it touches the seat, then then child will be absorbing the force of the collision rather than letting the seat work the way it was designed to work
- you need to remember this when picking a spot for the seat
  - ie. don’t put it behind the driver’s seat if the driver is tall

Use of the LATCH system:

child car seats come with the LATCH system which allows you to clip the seat into the vehicle and then tighten the LATCH belt

use of the LATCH system is also determined by your car owners manual
- most vehicles have the LATCH anchors for the two outboard (closest to door) positions
- the middle seat, unless specified in the vehicle owners manual CANNOT borrow the LATCH anchors from the outboard positions. This means that if you are installing a seat in the middle, you must use the vehicles seat belt

Getting it tight enough:

The base/seat needs to be tight enough that it moves less than 1 inch side to side at the belt path (where the seat belt or LATCH belt goes through the base)
- Place the seat/base and the car seat in the vehicle and adjust the foot on the base until it is at the proper position
- clip on the LATCH clips to the anchors
- make sure the LATCH belt is flat
- twisting will cause weakness during a collision
- kneel on the base (infant only) or into the car seat (infant-child)
  - you are heavier than the baby
  - this will get the vehicle’s seat compressed and allow the belt to be as tight as possible
- tighten the belt

no movement is best

if you try to shake the base and the whole vehicle shakes, then you’re tight enough

Using the vehicle’s seat belt:

(more info coming…stay tuned)

Putting the child in the seat:

the harness must be at or below the infants shoulders
- this will hold the child down in the seat, not allowing them to be forced upwards in a collision

You must be able to get no more than one finger width between the strap and your infant’s collar bone

DO NOT put your child in bulky clothing (ie. heavy or puffy sweaters, snow suits)
- this will not allow the harness to be tightened properly
- don’t kid yourself either – if you think that it’s tight with the snow suit on, take the snow suit off and put the child back in and you’ll see how loose those straps are when the snow suit compresses under the force of the collision

The chest clip must be at their arm pits

Photo: carseatsite.com

DO NOT use any 3rd party add-ons that did not cone with the seat
- no protectors on the harness
- no snuggle bags
- no head protectors
- many manufactures are starting to have these come as part of the seat
  - this means that they were crash tested with the seat and are safe to use
- If you need more support for the babies head and your seat did not come with a head support, simply take 2 receiving blankets and make two rolls and place one on each side of the babies head

Putting the infant seat into the car when used with a base:

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

Make sure it is clipped into the base tightly
- you don’t want it to come loose in a collision

I’m going to stay this again: the child seat CANNOT touch the passenger seat in front of it
- read above under “Position of the seat when rear-facing” for more info

Why get your car seat checked at a car seat clinic?

we know all the tips and tricks to get your car seat in correctly and tight enough
we’ve installed many different seats in many different cars
we know when to use a locking clip
because you can be fined $240 and 2 demit points (in Ontario) if your child is not in a properly installed and properly used car seat
but even more important, because you can keep your child as safe as possible should be be in a collision

More info about rear-facing seats

Snuggle Bugz — Rear-Facing Car Seats, Why Do We Do This?
Transport Canada — Stage 1: Rear-facing Seats
MTO – Choose the right seat for your child: Infants
Safe Kids Canada – Installation Videos

More Car Seat Information: