You'll find below some of the most common questions we get asked.
We always welcome your feedback!
Q: My baby is 20lbs - Do I turn him forward?
A: Ontario law says that you can turn your baby forward at 20lb. Most car seats REQUIRE that your baby be a minimum of one year of age AND 20lbs. At SEATS for Kids, we have seen enough documentation to be confident in saying that all children are safer rear facing as long as possible.
Your baby will likely grow out of their infant bucket seat before they are developmentally ready to turn forward facing. There are many seats on the market that are infant/toddler or infant/toddler/boosters that go rear-facing to 30lbs. There are even new seats that go to 35 lbs rear facing, as even the car seat manufacturers are recognizing that children are safer rear facing.
Riding rear facing is the safer position, as it is the seat; not the child; that takes the majority of the force in a collision. As such, SEATS for Kids recommends as best practice that children stay rear-facing until the child is walking unassisted and is a minimum of 1 year of age, and is at LEAST 20lbs. We would prefer to see as many children as possible rear facing to 28 or 29lbs, regardless of age.
Q: My son's legs are touching the back of the seat while he's rear-facing. Is that a sign to turn him?
A: NO. Legs are very bendable. In the event of a collision, your child will be safer rear facing. Their legs, should they be injured (there have been no reports of leg injuries) can be fixed.
Q: My daughter is 4, but only 30lbs - Should I keep her in the harness?
A: Children MUST stay in a 5 point restraint until they are 40lbs - even if she is already 4. Being in a five point harness is safer for younger children as it distributes the force of the impact to the bony structure of the body, the chest, shoulders and hips. A 5 point restraint, when used correctly, will also keep the child's body from moving excessively in a collision, reducing the possibility of head and neck injury.
Q: Is he ready for a booster? How can I tell?
A: Children CAN'T legally sit in a booster until they are 40lbs, but even when they hit 40 lbs, they don't have to be switched. There are seats on the market that go to 47 or 48 lbs, and there are several seats now that go to 65 lbs as a 5 pt restraint. Some children may not be developmentally ready to sit in a booster seat at 40 lbs.
Good ways to tell if he is ready for a booster are....
When he falls asleep in the car, does he tip forward? Kids who are put in boosters too early are very floppy when they sleep and their heads can often touch their knees when using just a seat belt. this puts them out of position in a crash and puts them at risk. Kids who are ready for a booster stay basically in position when they sleep in the car, similar to an adult.
When he is sitting in his seat, is he able to stay still and sit appropriately in position. Many parents put their kids in boosters and then put them back into 5 pt restraints because the children are unable to sit safely in the car...bouncing and moving out of position.
Those are factors you would need to look at. I personally have bought a 65 lbs seat for my daughter, she is 42 lbs, and I will probably use it until she is 50 lbs. At that point I will assess if she is developmentally ready for a booster seat.
Q: We have an 8 year old. When can we get rid of the booster seat?
A: The law in Ontario states that children need to be in a booster seat until they are 8 years old OR 80 lbs, OR 4 foot 9 inches. That being said, having a 6 year old who is 80 lbs does not mean that they will be safe in a seat belt. You will want to assess if the seat belt of your vehicle fits the child and if the child fits the seat.
When the seat belt is done up, is the shoulder strap across their shoulder and not their neck?
Is the child sitting with their bum back and not slouching forward?
Is the lap portion sitting low and comfortably across their hips and not on their belly?
If you have answered yes to all of these things, and the child has hit at least one of the milestones required by the Ontario law, THEN they can be switched to a seat belt.
My 65 lb 9 year old fits the seat and seat belt of our car, but does NOT fit the seat belt in my truck and requires a booster seat to be in proper position in the truck.
Q: Can you re-certify a recently expired or used car seat?
A: NO! Car seats CANNOT be recertified for use. Once they are expired, they belong in the garbage, and should not be used. Anyone giving away a used car seat that is expired, or selling one, would be liable for any injury that may occur to the child put into the seat. Some consignment stores sell car seats that are used with a waiver signed by the seller stating it has never been in a collision, but there are NO guarentees. Car seats are SINGLE USER items.
Q: What is the best car seat currently on the market?
A: All seats on the market in Canada are tested to the same safety standards. It is a self testing program, meaning that all companies are required to test their own products. Some seats are incompatible with some cars, and some seats don't fit some babies. The best seat is going to be the seat that fits your car, fits your child and that you are going to use properly. Cost is not indicative of a 'good' car seat.
Helpful hint: Take your child or a stuffed animal to the store before you buy your car seat, and try the seat in the store. Put the baby or stuffy in the seat in the store. Adjust the harness, tighten the belts, and read through the manual. Test to see if it is too heavy to carry once it has a 10lb baby in it (if it is a bucket seat). This is the best way to tell if it is the seat for you.
Some retail stores may allow you to see if the seat fits in your vehicle before you pay for it. (They may allow you to try the display model in your car)
*Using the internet to look up car seat ratings will NOT tell you if the seat is incompatible with your car.
Q: What is the safest position in the car?
A: The middle position of the back seat is usually the safer position to install a child seat. Not always. If there is a fold down arm rest in the middle, or a bump, or a lap belt only, the middle position may not be safer.
*Most cars DO NOT have UAS in the centre position. You can still install a seat in the middle position with the seat belt if it doesn't have UAS. Check your vehicle manual to confirm if there is UAS in the center.
Transport Canada recommends keeping all children under 13 years of age in the back seat. This is for their own safety.
Q: Can I put my child in the front with their booster seat?
A: NO. You cannot put a booster seat in front of an active airbag.
Q: Why aren't there MORE clinics?
A: SEATS for Kids is run entirely by volunteers. We all have jobs and families. We are not funded by any organization and rely entirely on our sponsors and private donations. We do not have enough volunteers to run more clinics. If you are interested in taking the training course to become a volunteer with us, please contact us. We require a minimum of 25 hours of volunteer time a year. To encourage more volunteers and to increase the communities that we serve, we now try to offer clinics on Saturdays, Sundays, evenings and occasionally during the week. Everything we do is dependant on volunteer availability.
Q: I tried to register for the clinic, but it closed in under an hour! What happened?
A: Because we are a volunteer organization, we are only able to put on one clinic a month. The demand for this service is VERY HIGH, and we recognize that we cannot meet the need. The City of Ottawa no longer provides this service as it was deemed an unnecessary budget expense. We are doing our best to recruit more volunteers, and expand our services to include private appointments! Please keep trying - we are too!
Q: Why won't you install a car seat I have bought in the United States?
A: Car seats sold in the United States are tested to a different standard than car seats intended to be sold in Canada. They do not have the required stickers and are not legal for use in Canada. We can not install a car seat from the United States as it is illegal to use it here even though it may look the same as one available in Canada.
Have a question not answered above? Email seats_coalition@hotmail.com
Seats for Kids is a Not For Profit Organization that Relies on Volunteers and Donations! Please Donate!
