Highways and Public Works

Car Seat Safety - Stage One

This stage is rear facing with a harness system within this stage there are two main parts. They are: installation of the car seat and securing your infant into the car seat.

Proper Instalation of your car seat into your vehicle

  1. Before installing your infant carrier, please consult your vehicle manual and find out where they are recommended to be place and how your vehicles seat belt engage so that they may be used with car seats.
  2. The best location for any car seat is in the back seat. The contre back seating position is considered the safer place as it is the furthest away from any intruding vehicles or objects in the event of a collision. However this is not always possible, it depends on the vehicle that it is being used in. (Also, please check your vehicle manual, most UAS systems are only to be used on either outbound seat NOT the centre) If you have a pickup with no back seat, it is acceptable to install a rear facing car seat in the front, as long as there is no air bag. 80% of the infant carriers base MUST be supported by the vehicle seat. If this can not be achieved you will need to find a new seating position where it can be or get a different car seat.
  3. If your vehicle is equipped with side air bags, click here for more information on them before installing your booster seat.
  4. All rear-facing car seats must be reclined at a 45 degree angle. This is the angle of the back incline where your infant's head, neck and back rest. This angle allows for the support of your infant's heavy head and weak neck muscles while still ensuring that your infant will be effectively restrained in case of a crash.  If this angle is too upright your infant's head may flop forward onto their chest, this may lead to suffication as their neck muscle may not be developed enought to lift their head back up. Conversely, if this angle is reclined too much it could ramp an infant toward the front of the vehicle in the event of a collision.
    (If your infant seat does not have an adjuster peddle or you can not achieve this angle even with the adjuster peddle, you can place a piece of pool noodle under your infant carrier at the seat bite under your infant carrier to help achieve this angle.)
  5. Decide if you are going to use your UAS, Universal Anchor System, or a seat belt. They are both just as safe, but sometimes one may be easier than the other for installation purposes. If you wish to use your UAS system, click here for more information on them.
    If you wish to use your seat belt ensure that you now how your vehicle seat belt works for car seat. You need to ensure that it will lock. The most common type of seat belt is a switchable, meaning if you pull your lap/shoulder belt all the way out, it will click, engaging the locking mechanism  (you will hear a racheting sound as it goes back in) and you should notice that it locks and will only tighten. If your seat belt does not do this, please refer to your vehicle manual to find out how your seat belt works.
  6. To properly secure a rear facing car seat, push the sides of the infant seat (or base if you have an infant carrier) down and into the vehicle upholstrey, place all your weigh into the seat/base (this will hold it in position and make securing it easier) route your seat belt through as directed by your car seat manual. Pull tight.
  7. To check if it is tight enough, place hand on each side of your car seat where the seat belt/UAS goes through it. Pull towards the front of the car and towards each side door. If you infant carrier moves more than one inch, it is not correctly installed and you will need to try again.

Securing your infant properly

  1. Place your infant in the infant carrier, making sure the buttocks are against the seat back. Position the harness straps over your infant's shoulders.Ensure the harness straps are at or below your infant's shoulder level. If they are above the shoulders, adjustments will be needed to reposition the harness properly. (see car seat manual for these directions)
  2. Make sure the harness straps are flat and not twisted or folded as this will alter the performance of the harness system. Securely latch the harness to the crotch buckle assembly.
  3. Tighten the harness as indicated in your manual so that only one finger fits between the harness and your infant's collar bone after the harness is buckled. (You can also use the pinch test to see if it is tight enough. Take your fore finger and thumb and try and pinch the harness lengthwise. This test should be down slight below their shoulders. If you can grab any of the harness it is not tight enough and needs to be adjusted.)
  4. Ensure the chest clip is positioned at the arm pit level over the chestbone. The chest clip will hold the shoulder harness over the infant's shoulders. This make it difficult for the harness straps to slip off the shoulders which if happens could lead to ejection of your infant in the event of a collision. The chest clip also safety absorbs the forces of a crash or sudden stop over the strong chestbone
  5. Sometimes the space between your infant's crotch and the crotch strap is big enough to allow for slouching, this will result in re-positioning of the shoulder harness,etc and then your infant will not be positioned within the harness system properly. In this event, check your manual to see if this strap can be adjusted, if not a rolled coth or recieving blanket may be used between to your infant and the strap to fill in the gab. This cloth must be placed between the legs of your infant and never allowed to shift up to the abdomen.

****Please also read our aftermarket product and winter clothing section with regards warnings for the use of head huggers, snuggle bags, padded liners, and winter clothes.****

Further information:

How your car seat works in a collision

Transport Canada - Stage One

Canada Safety Council - Stage One

ICBC - Stage One