Road Safety

Child Car Seat... For How Long?

Under the Highway Safety Code, in a moving vehicle, children whose sitting height is less than 63 cm (measured from the seat to the top of the head) must ride in a child car seat that is suitable for the child's weight (infant seat, child seat or booster seat).

Before deciding to no longer use a child car seat, check the child's position on the rear seat of the vehicle:

1. When children are seated, their back needs to be flat against the backrest with their knees bent over the front edge of the seat. They must be able to easily maintain this position for the entire trip.
2. When the seat belt is buckled, it should lie in the middle of the shoulder (over the collar bone) and on the hips. It should not lie across the neck or abdomen.

Why?
Children who are not tall enough and whose legs are too short will tend to slide under the seat belt and move forward to bend the knees over the edge of the seat to get comfortable. In an accident, this could lead to serious injuries to the spine or internal organs because the seat belt is pressing against the abdomen rather than on the hips.

Children who cannot use a seat belt safely by themselves should continue to use a booster seat suitable for their height and weight, even if they have a sitting height of 63 cm.

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