Traffic safety tips

November’s traffic safety focus is child safety seats.

It is the law in Alberta that a driver must ensure children under the age of 16 are properly restrained.

Research indicates that child safety seats can reduce the risk of serious and fatal injury by 60 to 70 per cent.

When is your child ready to use a seat belt?

Your child is ready to use a seat belt when the vehicle's seat belt fits properly.

Typically, when a child is at least 145 cm (4’9”) tall and between eight and 12 years of age. Children are safest and should remain in the backseat until they are at least 13 years old.

The seat belt fits when:

  • the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat when they are sitting against the back of the 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).

Your child needs to use the most appropriate child safety seat to get the most safety benefit.

Related information

Rear-facing car seat

Birth until at least two years

A child is safest in a rear-facing car seat until they:

  • are at least two years old, or reach the maximum weight or height limit for the rear-facing seat (as stated by the manufacturer)
  • Rear-facing car seats keep your child in the safest position:
    1.  In a rear-facing car seat, the momentum of a sudden stop will press the child backward into the car seat.
    2. Use this kind of car seat for as long as you can.
    3. Consider looking for a rear-facing car seat with weight and height limits that go beyond the average for age two.

Forward-facing car seat

At least two years until at least six years or 40 lbs

By law in Alberta, children under the age of six who weigh 18 kg (40 lbs) or less must be in a child safety seat.

  • Your child should be in a forward-facing car seat once they are at least two years old, or reach the maximum height or weight limit for their rear-facing car seat
  • Your child should use the forward-facing car seat until they are at least six years old, or weigh more than 18 kg (40 lbs) and have reached the maximum height or weight limit for the car seat (as stated by the manufacturer)

Booster seat

At least six years or 40lbs until a seat belt fits

It’s important to teach children at an early age how to safely cross the street. Take time together to practice the following safe crossing skills to help them learn how to navigate our streets safely.

  • Teach the Point, Pause, Proceed method outlined above; then remind them to continue looking left and right until safely across the street
  • Remind kids not to run or dart out into the street or cross between parked cars – even for their favourite toy
  • Help kids to identify and understand car turn signals and back up lights. Encourage them to be especially alert for cars that are turning or backing up.
  • Teach kids to put phones, headphones and devices down when crossing the street. This is a particularly important message to reinforce with teenagers.
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