Not sure how to install your car seat?
Ontario’s MTO has some general guidelines, but this doesn’t always help when we are overwhelmed feeling like we aren’t sure if the car seat is installed correctly.
Here is some of the information on Rear-facing seat installation from MTO’s website:
- install away from active air bags
- install base at 45-degree angle
- use your body weight to tighten and fasten the seat belt
- use the correct harness slots (make sure it is not twisted/folded)
MTO also says that the seat should not move more than 1 in. in any direction where the seat belt or anchor strap is routed through the seat. This is always hard for me to tighten the seat enough to eliminate this wiggle room. One great tip I learned from our car seat installer was when installing the infant seat base, to get on top of the base in order to apply enough weight and pressure to fasten the seat belt/anchor. You can see a picture of this on MTO’s website here.
Did you know the Ontario Provincial Police provide FREE car seat checks?
There are locations in Toronto, Port Credit or Aurora. You need to call each Detachment Centre to book your appointment. For our York Region mamas, the Aurora Detachment (at Yonge and Bloomington) tel #905-841-5777. There is also a Caledon location (#905-584-2241) and Toronto location(#416-235-4981)
A client who just attended her appointment was very pleased with her experience at the Toronto location. She even got a certificate after her car seat check. Apparently she said some hospitals ask for this? Who knew you would need a certificate?! North York General didn’t require one when I gave birth, but maybe something to look into at your hospital if you get a chance. If you want more information about specific dates of each clinic please see the OPP’s website here.
This website is not intended to provide any instruction on car seat installation. Please consult a certified car seat installer for more information.