Child safety seats

Most booster seats are not attached directly to the vehicle. They are a seating platform for the child. The child sits on the booster and then the seat belt assembly is routed over the child’s shoulder and hip area, holding both the child and booster into the vehicle. There are some boosters that do affix directly to the vehicle using the Universal Anchorage System (UAS). The booster is affixed to the vehicle, the child sits on the platform and then the seat belt assembly is placed over the child appropriately. 

It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that all passengers 16 and under are properly restrained. 

To view up-to-date product recalls including car seats, you can visit the Transport Canada Child Restraint and Booster Cushion Notices website or call Transport Canada at 1-800-333-0371. 

Common mistakes when it comes to booster seats include: 

• putting a child into a booster seat too soon 
• putting a child to an adult seat belt too soon 
• placing the shoulder belt behind the child's back or under the arm 

Drivers using vehicles rented in New Brunswick must comply with the booster seat legislation if carrying passengers who require a booster seat. Booster seats can usually be rented from the vehicle rental company. 

The minimum fine for non-compliance is $172.50. No demerit points are lost.

While most parents know about the necessity of car seats for babies, many are not aware of the need to properly restrain older children. Seat belts are designed for people who are at least 145cm tall. 

In a collision, a seat belt that fits properly puts pressure evenly across the shoulder, chest, and hip bones – the strongest parts of the body. When a child is too small for a seat belt, it crosses over more vulnerable places, such as the neck and stomach. 

Transport Canada recommends that all children 12 and under sit in the back seat of the vehicle. If you must have your child ride in the front seat, be sure they are restrained appropriately and that the vehicle seat is as far back from the dashboard as possible. Also ensure that the air bag (if present) is deactivated. 

• Rear-facing seat - Use a rear-facing seat until a baby is at least one year old and 10 kg. 
• Forward-facing seat - Use from 10 kg to 18 kg, from at least age one to generally four and a half years. 
• Booster seat - Use from 18 kg until the child meets one of the following criteria:
  • nine years old
  • 36 kg
  • 145 cm 
• Seatbelt - To be used when a child has outgrown the booster seat or meets one of the criteria listed in the preceding column. 

When these criteria have been met, the driver will no longer be required to ensure that the child is occupying and properly secured in a child restraint system. A seat belt only is required for the child at that time.

The regulation protects children who have outgrown their car seats but are still too small to be properly protected by a seat belt alone.

Research shows that using appropriate child passenger restraints reduces the risk of serious injury by 40 to 60%.

In a collision, a child restrained with only a seatbelt and not in a booster seat is three and a half times more likely to suffer serious injuries, and four times more likely to suffer a head injury. 

Exemptions to the Booster Seat Regulation include: 

• drivers of buses (including school buses) 
• taxis 
• authorized emergency vehicles (including police cars and ambulances) 
• drivers of privately-owned vehicles registered in another province (subject to the requirements of their home jurisdiction 

Note: A driver of a vehicle that is rented in New Brunswick (even if it is registered in another province) must comply with the regulations. 

All seats manufactured after March 15, 1998 for sale in Canada must bear the National Safety Mark to indicate compliance to the applicable Canadian standards. Look for this mark. Do not buy a seat without it. 

Child seats bought in other countries are not legal for use in Canada and may not properly protect your child in a collision. 

There are different types of booster seats depending on the model. These models include: 

• high-back booster seat 
• 2-in-1 child/booster seat and 3-in-1 infant/child/booster Seat (combination harness/booster seat) 
• backless (no-back) booster seat 

Be careful about buying a used child seat. Buy new, or from someone trusted who knows that the child seat meets the safety standards. Make sure any child seat you buy has: 

• manufacturer's instructions 
• all necessary hardware, straps, buckles, harnesses and chest clip 
• not been in a collision 
• not been recalled 
• not expired (check the expiry date, if one is not visible contact the manufacturer) 
• no discolored (stress) marks or cracks and the harness is not worn or torn 

• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Do not purchase booster seats in the United States since they do not comply with Canadian safety regulations.
• Check the upper weight and height limits on the booster seat, as these can vary for different seats- if the child outgrows their seat and they have not reached one of the required criteria (age, weight, height), another booster seat with a higher weight limit will need to be used.
• The safest location to install a booster seat is the back seat.
• Make sure the booster seat has the National Safety Mark.
• Booster seats with no back may only be used if the seat has an adjustable or non-adjustable headrest that ensures that the mid-point of the child’s ears does not extend above the seatback- refer to the manufacturer's guidelines.
• Do not use a booster seat if it has been in a motor vehicle collision.
• Make sure the booster seat is secured when not being used by a child so that it does not fly around in a collision.
• If there is no expiry date on the seat, check with the manufacturer.

Manufacturer's guidelines require booster seats to be used with a 3-point seatbelt system. This means that booster seats can only be placed in the outside seating positions in most of these vehicles since most have center seats with only lap belts. 

As with every other vehicle, booster seats used in 15-passenger vehicles must: 

• bear the National Safety Mark 
• be appropriate for the height and weight of the child 
• be installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines 

Depending on the size and age of children being transported, some vehicle users may need to make some passenger placement or vehicle usage adjustments in order to comply with the new requirements.