Child Safety Seats

Used correctly, child safety seats are effective in reducing injury and deaths in motor vehicle collisions. 

Before installing a car seat, make sure you read the manufacturer’s instruction manual and the car seat section of the vehicle owner’s manual. 

Facts to know:

• In Alberta, the law requires all occupants travelling in a motor vehicle use a seat belt or child safety seat that is properly worn and adjusted.
• Children who weigh 18kg (40lbs) or less must be in a properly installed child restraint.
• It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure passengers under the age of 16 are properly secured with a child safety seat or seat belt.
• The fine for not using a child safety seat or seat belt is $162.00.
• Children are safest in the backseat.

Rear Facing Car Seats

• A child is safest in a rear-facing car seat until they are 2 years of age OR reach the maximum weight or height limit for the rear-facing seat (as stated by the manufacturer).

Forward Facing Car Seats

• Once a child is at least 2 years of age OR has reached the maximum weight or height limit for their rear-facing car seat, they should be in a forward-facing car seat.
• Use the forward-facing car seat until the child weighs more than 18kg (40lbs).

Booster Seats

• Once a child weighs more than 18kg (40lbs) they should use a booster seat.
• Booster seats are not required by law in Alberta, but they are strongly recommended to help position the child so the should-lap belt fits properly.
• The child should be in the booster seat until they reach the manufacturer’s maximum height or weight limit.

Seat Belts

• Your child is ready to use a seat belt when the vehicle’s seat belt fits properly. This is typically when a child is a least 4’9’’ tall and between 8 – 12 years of age;
• The seat belt fits when:
  • The child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat when they are sitting against the back seat.
  • The shoulder belt crosses the chest and stays between the child’s neck and shoulder (not between the chin and neck).
  • The lap belt crosses the child’s hips (not the stomach)
• Children are safest and should remain in the backseat until they are at least 13 years old.

More information about child safety seats can be found at:

• https://www.alberta.ca/child-seats.aspx
• https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Alberta/Pages/alberta-child-safety-seat-guidelines.aspx