Ensure your child is safely and properly secured while traveling in your motor vehicle. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation advises the correct use of a child restraint seat on every trip can prevent 75% of crash related deaths and serious injuries to child passengers.

• Follow instructions according to the child seat manufacturer’s manual, as well as your vehicle owner’s manual, and ensure the seat has the CMVSS (Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) on it and has not expired
• Ensure your child is within the height and weight limits of the seat
• Try the seat in your vehicle prior to purchasing it, to ensure that it will fit properly and can be tightened securely allowing no more than 1 inch of movement in any direction at the belt path
• Do not dress your child in bulky jackets as they do not allow the harness straps to be as tight as they need to be
• Rear facing is the safest position for a child to be – don’t rush to turn your child around until they have outgrown the weight and height limits of the seat
• It is okay if your child’s legs touch the back of the seat, hang over the sides, or if they cross them – many children comfortably rear-face until 3 or 4 years of age
• Always replace and dispose of a car seat that was in a vehicle involved in a collision
• Children 12 years and younger should always be restrained in the back seat, especially if there is a front passenger seat airbag

The Owen Sound Police Service does not conduct child car seat inspections but there are many great resources online to assist you in properly installing your child’s seat.

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