When you are travelling with an infant or young child it’s important to know they’re as safe as possible while in the car. Using the proper car seat for a child’s age and weight is the best way to prevent an injury in the event of a car accident.
When you’re looking for a car seat for your little one there are a few things to look for. You want to ensure the National Safety Mark label is on the seat somewhere. This label shows that the seat meets all of the safety regulations in Canada. You also want to pay attention to the expiry date on the seat as it should not be used past that date.
Since newborns need extra protection while in a car, their car seats are rear facing. It is recommended that your child stays in a rear facing car seat until they’ve outgrown the weight and height limits. Once they have outgrown their first car seat you can switch them to a larger rear facing seat.
For your toddler who weights between 20-40 lbs it is necessary for them to sit in a forward facing car seat. This seat will be used until your child weights over 40 lbs. After your child has outgrown their forward facing seat they will move to their final car seat.
The final car seat is known as a booster seat. Booster seats give children a raised seat. Once your child is in a booster seat they’re able to begin using adult seatbelts. Any child under the age of 8, weighs between 40-80 lbs, and is less than 4’9 tall.
Once your child has outgrown their booster seat they are able to ride in the car with a seatbelt. Seatbelts are made for adults and older children. Typically your child can begin to wear a seatbelt without a booster seat once they are 8, weight 90 lbs, or are 4’9 tall.
Kids who are 12 or under should ride in the back seat. This is the safest place for them to be in the vehicle.
Remember that as the driver you are responsible to keep all young passengers safe and secure while driving. At Wizard Auto Glass in Mississauga and Brampton your safety is our number one concern, if you have a cracked windshield or any other damaged car glass, contact us today for a quick estimate. We pay deductibles and provide emergency and mobile auto glass service to your home. For more information visit our site at http://autoglasswizard.ca/auto-glass-replacement.html