All passengers must wear a seatbelt in the car once the car is moving.
Transporting Children
If you have small children, it is important to know that in Ontario there are special laws for transporting children in cars. These laws are meant to protect children in case of car accidents.
All children under the age of eight years old must sit in a car seat when travelling in a car. All car seats must be placed in the back seat of a car.
If your child is under 9 kilograms or 20 pounds, they must sit in a rear-facing car seat.
However, children who are over 20 pounds and over one year can go into a forward facing car seat.
Booster seats are for children who are under the age of eight, and weigh between 18-36 kilograms (40-80 pounds) and who are shorter than 145 centimetres tall (four feet, nine inches).
Once a child turns eight or weighs 36 kilograms (80 pounds) or is over 145 centimetres tall (four feel, nine inches) they are able to sit in the car with a seatbelt. All passengers must wear a seatbelt in the car once the car is moving.
Ontario law forbides smoking in cars that are carrying children under 16 years old.
Peel Public Health has created this Car Seat safety website to help you make the right choices for your children. The information in these pages could save your child’s life so please take the time to find out how to make them safe!
Additional information on child safety
- For more information on child safety, visit the Transport Canada website
- View the press release about the laws of child safety in Ontario
- Peel Regional Police has more information on child safety in vehicles