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Babies and children need special protection while travelling in a car. Child car safety seats are there to help keep your child safe on the road. They prevent multiple injuries among children during road crashes and sudden stops. This is why they are mandatory in Canada.
Note: The numbers provided in this article could be different depending on your province as each province has its own laws. I will provide the numbers that are found most commonly throughout Canada.
Children that are required to have a child car safety seat, must sit in their safety seat at all times when in a car. The rules for child car safety seats apply to any child in Canada who meets the age, weight, and height criteria.
hen arriving in Canada, you must have a child car safety seat when travelling from the airport. If your child requires a car safety seat, prepare to have one before you arrive in Canada.
There are four child car safety seat categories. Which one your child should have, depends on their age and height. These four categories, in order from youngest to oldest, are:
Most of Canada uses these four categories. However because provincial governments make their own laws, Alberta, Nunavut, and the North West Territories do not have booster seat laws. Still, booster seats are recommended.
Rear-facing car seats, as you may have guessed, face the back of the car. The children sitting in them will be facing the back of the car instead of facing forward. This type of car seat is for infants and toddlers. They are effective in preventing injuries that could have been caused without one.
There are 3 types of rear-facing car seats you can buy:
Naturally, the last 2 are more expensive than a regular front-facing seat. However, they are a good investment because you won’t have to buy another car seat in the future when your child outgrows their rear-facing seat.
Rear-facing car seats are mandatory for babies that are under 9 kg (20 lbs) or one year old. As mentioned earlier, these numbers will differ from province to province.
After your toddler has passed their mark, either by age or weight, you can choose if you want to:
It is recommended that you keep a rear-facing seat for your toddler because a rear-facing seat is a lot safer. Many parents chose to keep rear-facing car seats until their child reaches the age of two.
Once your child exceeds the weight limit of their rear-facing car seat, or you decide it’s time to upgrade, your child gets a forward-facing car seat. A forward-facing car seat is not as safe as a rear-facing car seat but, unlike a rear-facing seat, it can hold bigger children.
There is more legroom in a forward-facing car seat and it usually has a higher weight limit. You can buy a regular forward-facing car seat, a convertible, or an all-in-one seat.
A child must sit in a forward-facing child seat until they are at least 18 kg (40 lbs). After that, you can choose whether or not you want to get your child a booster seat. Even though forward-facing seats are not safer than rear-facing, they are safer than booster seats. This is why you should keep your child’s forward-facing seat for as long as you can before they exceed the seat’s weight limit.
A booster seat is the third and final car seat your child will sit in. Booster seats raise children to a level where a seat belt will fit them. It also provides head and neck protection during a crash. Booster seats are estimated to be about four times safer than a normal seatbelt during a crash.
A child is required to be in a booster seat until they:
Once they reach one of those benchmarks, they are legally allowed to use a regular seat belt. Of course, you should check the exact numbers for your province as these numbers differ from province to province.
A good way to check if your child is ready for a regular seat belt is to see if their legs drop comfortably over the seat’s edge while their back lines up with the back of the seat. If this is the case, and your child has passed your province’s regulations, your child can use a normal seatbelt.
After a child has outgrown their booster seat, they can use a regular seatbelt. However, there are some restrictions. A child under the age of 14, that uses a regular seat belt, must sit in the back seat of a car. Only people aged 14 and above are allowed to sit in the front passenger seat.
Before a child starts using a regular seat belt, it is the parent’s job to ensure that the seat belt fits them properly. To ensure a seat belt fits your child, make sure that the lower strap goes around the hips and not the stomach. The shoulder strap (the one going diagonally) should nicely rest on the shoulders and not touch the neck. If this is not the case, your child should stay in a booster seat.
If your child has outgrown their booster seat but isn’t ready for a regular seat belt, then it is recommended that they get a bigger booster seat. Most likely, however, booster seats are designed so that your child will be ready for a regular seatbelt right after they have outgrown their booster seat.
Installing car seats properly is just as important as installing car seats in the first place. Properly installed car seats can mean the difference between life and death during a car crash. I will go briefly over how to install each of the three types of car seats in this section.
Keep in mind that there are many instructional videos on how to install car seats online. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has great resources to help you install your child’s car seat. To access the full guide on how to install a car seat, click here.
Note: Never install a child car safety seat near an active airbag. If there is an airbag where you want to install the seat, have the airbag disabled. Airbags can harm children if they inflate during a crash.
Rear-facing car seats are installed at an angle to allow your child to lie down. Rear-facing car seats will have a sticker at the side indicating the angle at which the seat should be. Most seats have angle adjusters to achieve the correct angle. If yours doesn’t have an angle adjuster, you can use rolled-up towels or some kind of prop to hold the seat at an angle.
Once you have figured out how to get the seat to the correct angle, you can fasten the child’s safety seat to the car. To do this, you will have to use either a seat belt or the Universal Anchorage System (UAS). All new cars in Canada have a UAS. Cars older than 2002 may not have one.
To learn how to install a rear-facing car seat properly, check out this guide from the government of Canada. It covers both UAS and seatbelt installation methods
Installing a forward-facing car seat is pretty similar to installing a rear-facing car seat. To fasten a forward-facing seat to the car, you can use both the UAS and a seatbelt. Unlike the rear-facing seat, however, a forward-facing seat does not rest at an angle; it must be fastened upright.
Another thing to keep in mind is that there should be no twists in any of the straps. If a twist appears in one of the straps, make sure you undo that step to keep the strap straight.
To learn how to install a forward-facing car seat properly, check out this guide from the government of Canada. It provides step-by-step instructions to use both UAS and seat belt installation methods.
The installation method for a booster seat is pretty straightforward. The booster seat rests on top of the car’s seat, fastened by an anchor strap to the car’s UAS. Its purpose is to make sure that the car’s seat belt can fit the child by boosting them up to a higher level. A booster seat makes sure that the lower strap of the seat belt goes across the hips of the child and the diagonal strap rests nicely on the shoulder.
Here is a government of Canada guide on how to install a booster seat and use it properly.
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There are some things you check in a car seat, especially if you bought it used:
Car seats vary significantly in price and quality. And there is always the option of buying used car seats, which are considerably cheaper. However, it is smart to invest in a durable all-in-one, also known as a 3-in-one, car safety seat. You will only have to buy one car seat in your child’s lifetime, which will serve as a:
Here are some of the most durable and reliable car seat brands.
Britax is one of those car seat brands that are hard to ignore when shopping for car seats. These child car seats are on the more expensive side of the car seat market, but they are very durable. Some will even last more than 10 years!
Now let’s discuss pricing. A Britax all-in-one child car safety will cost anywhere from $450. Seems expensive at first glance, but it will save you money in the long term by eliminating the need to buy new car seats. A regular Britax rear-facing seat will only cost around $200.
Diono car seats are usually less expensive than Britax car seats. They tend to have fewer features and a smaller lifetime. Still, they are a great pick for someone that has a smaller budget.
A Diono all-in-one will cost around $350 and a regular rear-facing seat will cost around $150. You can find a Diono booster seat for as little as $50!
One of the more well-known brands is Graco, and for good reason. Graco car seats are a perfect combination of quality and affordability.
A Graco all-in-one car seat will cost you around $300. A Graco rear-facing car seat will cost you $150 while a booster seat will cost you around $100. There is even a Graco backless booster seat for only $35.
If the prices mentioned are too expensive you can buy a used car safety seat for your child. Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace are good places to buy a used child car seat.
When you search for used car seats, check for cracks or damages. Also, make sure that the car seat comes with the user manual and all the straps and parts to ensure your child’s safety. There will be an expiry date on the car seat, to indicate the lifetime of the seat. If the car seat is nearing or has passed its expiry date, it would be a good idea to discard it and continue browsing.
Preparing for your driving test in Canada is vital, especially if you want to pass the exam on your first try. Getting a driving license in Canada can be a lengthy process. It involves both written driving test questions and a road test. Still, having a driver’s license in Canada is worth it. With a license, you can get around quickly and efficiently and save travel time. After all, time is money.
In this guide, you’ll learn about Canada’s graduated licensing system, driver’s license requirements at each level, and tips to prepare and pass your test.
In Canada, provincial governments are responsible for establishing transportation laws. Because of this, a driving test will vary slightly from province to province, but the idea behind tests is the same. The test ensures your ability to drive a car while accounting for your safety and the safety of others. This ensures that everyone on the road prevents road accidents every day. Read more about the 10 key facts newcomers must know about driving in Canada.
Canada and a group of countries entered the Foreign License Exchange Agreement. This agreement allows migrants between these countries to exchange their previous driving licenses with a new one.
The following countries have a License Exchange agreement with Canada:
*United Kingdom: England, Wales, and Scotland are included in the agreement, but Ireland is excluded.
If you emigrate from one of these countries, you can exchange your previous driving license for a Canadian license without a driving test. This opportunity is only available to immigrants for a maximum of 60 days after arriving in Canada. After two months, you must go through the process to get a driving license.
This is also available to interprovincial migrants. If you already have a license in your current province and are moving to a new province, you can swap your old license for a new one.
The graduated system has three levels:
G2 license
G driving license.
These are the most common names for the tests, but some provinces have different names. Each license has a driving test. The tests are different according to the type of driving license.
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REGISTER FOR THE WEBINARThe G1 driving license, also known as a learner’s permit, is the most basic of the three. It also is the easiest test to pass because it only has written driving test questions, and no driving is required. The test has two parts with 20 driving test questions in each part:
In total, the G1 driving test has 40 multiple-choice questions.
You need 80% or higher in each section to pass the test. That means at least 16/20 questions correct in each section. If you pass one and fail the other, you will only need to retake the section you failed.
Here is a practice G1 knowledge test. It’s wise to take practice tests before your final G1 knowledge test to know what to expect.
Once you pass the test and get your learner’s license, you can drive a car with certain restrictions:
2. You cannot drive at a speed higher than 80 km/h or on any road with a speed limit higher than 80 km/h. If your accompanying driver is a driving instructor, however, you are allowed to drive on any road.
3. You are only allowed to drive between 5:00 AM and Midnight.
Not following any of these rules can have your license suspended as well as a fine, depending on your offence.
A G2 driving license gives you more freedom than a G1 license. This is why the test is harder to pass. For starters, the G2 driving test is a road test, so you must get in a car and show the instructor that you can drive a car. Some things that a G2 driving test will cover include:
Obeying traffic lights and traffic signs
Driving through intersections (both with traffic lights and stop signs)
Parking (parallel, forward, and reverse)
Making u-turns, two and three-point turns, and reversing
Turning your vehicle on and off as well as other internal features.
It’s vital to practice all of these actions before your driving test. Parallel parking is one of those things that people have trouble with. If you can’t get it right, it’s an automatic fail.
Checking your mirrors and obeying speed limits, traffic lights, and traffic signs are some things to keep in mind during the test. It is also best if you don’t ask for advice. The driving instructor is looking to see whether or not you know the rules.
For more information on the G2 driving test, take a look at Ontario’s Guide to a G2 Driving Test. Even though it is from the province of Ontario, it will give you a good idea of what to expect from a driving test anywhere in Canada.
You must meet the following requirements to take your G2 driving test:
Your car must be fully functioning. The driving instructor can cancel the test even if a single light is not working. This is why it is vital to check your car before the test.
And, of course, you must pass all aspects of the driving test.
There are some minor restrictions on G2 drivers as well. They only apply to G2 drivers aged 19 or under and between Midnight to 5:00 AM.
If you have had your G2 license for less than six months, you can carry a maximum of one person under the age of 19.
If you have had your G2 license for more than six months, you can carry a maximum of three people under the age of 19. This restriction is in place until you get your Full G license or turn 20.
A G driving license is the most advanced of the three. Naturally, it gives you more driving privileges. This also means that the test to obtain a G license is more difficult to obtain. Once you have passed the test, however, a G License is worth it.
A G road test covers:
Highway driving: lane changing and overtaking
Merging into and exiting highways.
Since the G2 road test has no highway driving, the G License covers almost every aspect of highway driving plus everything covered in a G2 test. This ensures you can drive a car on any road and in any situation.
The G road test only has one requirement: You must have had a valid G2 license for at least two years. If you have completed an approved driving course, you only need to have had your G2 for eight months. Again, these timeframes may differ depending on your province.
There are no restrictions on a driver with a G license. However, all drivers must follow speed limits, traffic lights and signs, and all driving rules. Drivers must also have zero blood alcohol content.
When you prepare for the written driving test questions and road tests, you’ll enjoy the convenience of driving in Canada.