Car Safety Seats

A Child Restraint system, also commonly referred to as a child safety seat, or a car seat is a restraint which is secured to the seat of an automobile equipped with safety harnesses to hold a child in the event of a crash. more...

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Safety Concerns and Requirements

All Child Restraints have a recommended life span of 10 years. However, some seats have an earlier expiry date. Always obey manufacturer's instructions, because if the seat does not protect your child when the need arises, the manufacturer will not be liable if you went against their recommendations.

Also, Child Restraints are only 1 crash tested. This means that if your vehicle is compromised in any way (with or without the child in it), Transport Canada recommends the purchase of a new seat. This is due to the fact that no one is sure how a compromised Child Restraint will perform in subsequent crashes. There is no way to test this.

Child Restraints are often the subject of manufacturing recalls. (See the list maintained by the NHTSA for details). Check regularly to make sure your seat is not recalled. Recalls vary in severity; sometimes the manufacturer will send you an additional part for the seat, other times they will provide a new seat entirely. Always contact the manufacturer.

The purchase of a second hand seat is not recommended. Due to the previous concerns discussed about expiry dates, crash testing, and recalls, it is often impossible to determine the history of the Child Restraint if it is purchased second hand. Therefore, there is no way to tell if it is 100% safe for your child.

Infant Carriers

For young infants, the seat used is an infant carrier with typical weight recommendations of 5-20 lb. Infant Carriers are often also called "Bucket Seats" as they resemble a bucket with a handle. These seats can be used with the base secured, or with the carrier strapped in alone. Always refer to your seat's manufacturer's booklet for any questions about installation.

Infant Carriers are mounted rear-facing, and are designed to "cocoon" against the back of the vehicle seat in the event of a collision, with the impact being absorbed in the outer shell of the restraint. Rear facing seats are the safest for your child, and they must remain in this position until at least 1 year of age AND at least 20 lb.

Infant Carriers should be placed at a 45 degree angle, allowing appropriate neck and head support for your child. The harness straps should come from below their shoulders, coming up and over as they push down to retrain your child. Only one finger should fit between the harness straps and the collar bone. The chest clip should be placed at the under-arm level.

As previously mentioned, most bucket seats accommodate children up to 20 or 22 lb. (depending on the seat). However, many children outgrow this weight before reaching 1 year of age. Therefore, they must remain rear facing in another seat.

Read more at Wikipedia.org