AUTOMOTIVE
Kids in Cars
New rotating car seats can make driving with children easier while keeping them safe.
By Matt Bubbers | Illustration by Tom Froese
TRYING TO GET my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter into her car seat sometimes feels like wrangling a raccoon into a party dress. But I’ve found something that helps: a car seat that swivels. And I’ll happily extol its virtues to anybody who asks. Swivelling or rotating child seats are still relatively new on the Canadian market. Their main benefit is that, while the seat base remains stationary and securely fastened to the vehicle, the chair (or shell) can rotate. This makes getting a child in the car and fastening the seat harness much easier. There’s less lunging and bending at awkward angles — your lower back will thank you — and it’s easy to ensure the harness is properly fastened.
“When buying any car seat, ensure it has a National Safety Mark.”
The added convenience comes at a hefty price, though. Rotating seats can be hundreds of dollars more than non-rotating models and are often heavier and taller, too. (As someone who test-drives dozens of new vehicles each year, however, I’ve never had an issue fitting our rotating seat into a vehicle.)
Once the child is safely buckled into the seat, an adult must manually swivel it back around. The seat will then automatically lock into the safe driving position and won’t move. To get the child out, it usually takes just one hand to unlock the swivel mechanism and turn the seat to face the open door. Each seat works slightly differently, though, so be sure to read the manual.
When used properly, all certified child seats — rotating or not — can reduce the risk of fatal injury for infants under the age of one by 71 percent, according to CAA National. Several rotating seats receive top safety ratings in independent tests by Consumer Reports.
The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that children ride in rear-facing child seats as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the seats’ manufacturer. After that, children should ride in front-facing safety seats until they’ve outgrown those, and then move to booster seats.
When considering any seat, visit Transport Canada to see if it has any safety or recall alerts and notices. Also, make sure it has a National Safety Mark. The mark (see image) is a round label with a maple leaf in the centre, indicating that the seat is certified for use in Canada. (This is especially critical when buying online, according to Transport Canada.) Finally, make sure to check the regulations in your province or territory. And if you choose to go with a rotating seat, welcome to an easier way. CAA
