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We are day home providers and transport children in our personal vehicle. Can we use seat belt extenders with a booster seat? It is very tight across the back seat with a car seat and two booster seats. Is it legal to use a seat belt extender to make doing up the seat belts at the booster seats easier?
In terms of whether it is legal to use seat belt extenders with a booster seat, AORP has not come across anything that speaks specifically to the legality of this. If the provider is considering the use of extenders with the booster seat, they would need to look at the instructions specific to their booster seat, as each booster seat manufacturer will have instructions on whether an extender can be used or not. Most manufacturers indicate extenders cannot be used. In addition, the providers would need to review the vehicle instructions to see if seat belt extenders are acceptable for use with that particular vehicle’s seat belt system.
Generally, extenders and after-market products are not recommended for use with child safety seats or booster seats as they may change the configuration of the lap/shoulder belts and affect the performance of the seat belt system. Also, most after-market products have not been tested for their actual performance during a crash.
My 85 year old mother (passenger) refuses to wear her seat belt. If we are pulled over, will she receive a ticket, or will I get a ticket as the registered vehicle owner? I’ve read information on websites, but cannot find a definitive answer.
In Alberta there is legislation that requires all drivers and passengers traveling in motor vehicles to use seat belts.
In Alberta, the driver is responsible to ensure that all passengers under the age of 16 are properly secured in the appropriate seat belt or child safety seat. If the driver fails to secure passengers under the age of 16, the driver will receive the ticket for each unrestrained passenger.
For passengers over the age of 16 who refuse to comply with the law, the passenger receives the seat belt ticket, not the driver.
This legislation is described in Part 5, Section 80 of the Alberta Traffic Safety Act – Vehicle Equipment Regulation .
Unrestrained passengers are 3.5 times more likely to be injured or killed in a collision than persons wearing seat belts. Unrestrained passengers also are more likely to strike restrained passengers causing severe injury to the restrained occupant.
I own a 2007 Dodge Caravan which has a pair of built in child seats. A cushion pulls down and there is a 5 point harness built in. The instruction book says the seats are good for children 22 to 50 pounds.
Do these seats conform to Alberta legislation?
Yes, the seats are legal to use in Alberta. You can view a video of the testing of integrated seats (Dodge Caravan) on the Transport Canada web site .