Your child is developmentally ready to ride
Forward Facing child seat when he or she:
- Is 1 year of age.
- Has reached a
minimum weight of 9/10 kg (20/22lb)
until 18/22 kg (40/48 lb) or according
to manufacturer’s instruction. Choosing
a child seat that can accommodate a
higher weight can provide safe
transportation for a longer period of
time.
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Harnessing Child in Seats
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The harness system of a forward
– facing restraint system
spreads the forces of a
collision over the body
structure and are designed for
children weighing 9/10-18/22Kg
(20/-22-40/48lb) |
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The child’s skeletal system
cannot withstand the
concentrated forces exhibited by
a seat belt assembly alone. In
addition, the crotch strap keeps
the child in place and prevents
submarining. There are various
designs of a harness system used
with the forward–facing seat:
(1) a five point webbing harness
system; (2) T-shield harness
system; and (3) an over-head or
arm bar harness system.
The harness system is designed
to hold the child in place and
to spread the forces of a
collision. All of these harness
types provide equal protection
to the child. NO one type of
harness system is safer than
another, when used correctly.
The harness webbing MUST occupy
the upper-most or top harness
slots for
infant/child restraints when
used in the forward-facing mode.
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This area is
reinforced to absorb the forces
of a frontal collision. For
child/booster restraints, any of
the slots provided by the
manufacturer are acceptable for
use in a forward-facing position
provided the harness is at or
above the shoulders. |
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Installing the Forward-Facing Seat
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Before any installation of a
forward-facing restraint is attempted,
the instruction manual for the vehicle
and for the restraint system MUST be
consulted.
In general, an infant/child restraint
should be in the up right position.
Check the manufacturer’s instructions to
determine if there is a semi-recline
position that can be used when the
restraint is in the forward-facing mode.
The best location for a forward-facing
restraint system is in the back seat. It
is generally considered that the centre
rear seating position is the safer place
as it is the furthest away from any
possible intruding vehicle or object.
How ever it is necessary to check that
the seat assembly accommodates the
restraint and that the restraint fits
into that location. At least 80% of the
base of the restraint system MUST be
supported by the vehicle seat. If this
cannot be achieved then another
appropriate seating may be used or a
different forward-facing model of
restraint used.
The front seat is not recommended for
Forward-facing seats especially when
there is an air bag. If the front seat
must be used, the vehicle seat should be
placed in the furthest position away
from the dash and the tether must be
correctly attached to the vehicle.
If the vehicle has rear seat side air
bags, consult the vehicle owner’s manual
or contact Ontario Ministry of
Transportation.
To install, fasten the tether strap,
then use your full body weight to push
down on the seat while you tighten and
fasten the seat belt. The seat should
move no more than 2.5 cm (1 in.), to the
front or to the side of the vehicle. |
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Always Use the Tether Strap
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It is the law to use the tether
strap with a Forward-facing
child seat. The purpose of a
tether strap is to enable the
seat to meet the Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS)
head excursion requirements. |
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A tether can provide additional
stability.
The tether anchor is bolted to
an integral, metal part of the
vehicle, directly behind the
centre of the seat (ideally, no
more than 20 degrees off
centre). The tether strap must
be as tight as possible allowing
for no slack in the strap.
Always check manufacturers’
instructions for the vehicle and
the child seat for the method of
adjustment of the tether strap
and any required corrective
action. NEVER fasten more then
one tether strap to a tether
anchorage unless recommended by
the vehicle manufacturer.
Tether anchorage locations will
vary from one model of vehicle
to another. In most cases, the
vehicle owner’s manual will
indicate the location of the
pre-drilled holes or the factory
ready tether hardware. |
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If not, the dealership service
department or the customer help
line will have this information
(the toll- free number is in the
owner’s manual or call Ontario
Ministry of Transportation). It
is imperative to use only
locations specified by the
vehicle manufacturer to enable
that the anchorage to perform as
required and as specified by the
manufacturer. |
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