• The back seat is the safest place for any child 12 and younger (if an older child must ride in the front, move the seat back as far as possible to minimize danger).
  • Never leave your baby or toddler to sleep in the car seat or carrier. Children have died or been injured by being left to sleep in a car seat or carrier after the parents arrived at their destination. The victims either fell out, became tangled in the straps or choked to death when their head fell forward and closed off their airway. Do not succumb to the temptation to leave your sleeping baby in the car seat — even if you do bring the car seat into the house. Instead, put the baby to bed in a proper bassinet or crib — even if it means having to rock the baby to sleep again.
  • If the safety seat moves in any direction more than one inch, it’s too loose. Go to the police or hospital to have a safety seat expert help you tighten it, and recheck the safety seat each time you use it.
  • Always register your seat with manufacturer so that you can be notified of any repairs or recalls. If your seat is secondhand, call the manufacturer (usually a toll-free number) to find out if there’s been a repair or recall.
  • Not all seats allow you to adjust the shoulder straps in the front. If you have a seat that doesn’t allow you to adjust the straps, you can warm up (or cool down) the car before taking your child somewhere so that his clothing is always about the same thickness. Remember: If you can slip more than a finger under the straps, they’re too loose.
  • Do not place the child in the seat with a lot of padding or with a thick snowsuit; in an accident, the child can slip right out of the extra padding — and thus out of the seat.
  • Don’t allow children to share seat belts.
  • Never allow a child to ride in the bed of a truck or the cargo area of a SUV, unless it’s been equipped with seat belts.
  • Older children should always use lap and shoulder belts, regardless of where in the car they sit.
  • Never allow a child to place a seat belt behind his back or under his arm.
  • No child should ride in the front of a vehicle that has passenger air bags. Never use a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger airbag.
  • Never carry an infant or child in your arms if the vehicle is moving — not even if the baby is crying, not even if you’re just going down the block. Even a fender-bender will almost certainly injure — and possibly kill — an unrestrained child.
  • And remember: Your child is less likely to fight using a seat belt if it’s the rule of the road, and if you always wear one, too.

    If your car seat is not new…

  • All labels on the car seat must be present. If there are no labels, do not purchase. The Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) label is usually found on the side, bottom, or back of the car seat.
  • The car seat must be less than ten years old. The date of manufacture is found on the car seat manufacturer’s label with the manufacturer’s expiry date.
  • Only buy a car seat from the original owner who can tell you the history of the car seat and where it has been stored (storage in very cold or hot areas can ruin the plastic shell).
  • The car seat MUST come with the manufacturer’s instructions. This information is needed to correctly install and use the seat.
  • Do not use a car seat that has been in a crash, even if it looks okay. If the previous owner cannot tell you whether the car seat has ever been in a crash DO NOT PURCHASE.
  • Check the instructions to ensure that ALL parts of the car seat are included.

    • Check the condition of the car seat. Look for:

  • Cracks, chips, white or gray patches, or lines in the plastic shell
  • Warping, rust, or broken rivets in the metal frame.
  • Cuts, frayed edges or broken stitches in the harness or tether straps
  • Tears in the padding
  • Try the seat in your vehicle to ensure that it fits properly, according to the car seat instructions and your vehicle’s instructions. Not all car seats fit all vehicles!
  • Check for public recall notices. Find the make, model number, and date of manufacture label on the car seat and contact the manufacturer.