Certain rules apply if you are travelling with your child in a motor home, vintage car, taxi or vehicle similar to a taxi.
The following vehicles are considered motor homes:
The Highway Safety Code requirements are the same regardless of whether children are riding in a car or in a motor home. Children who are less than 145 cm tall or who are younger than age 9 must be seated in a child safety seat that is appropriate for their weight and height. The law also specifies that such seats must be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
It is therefore important to check:
Subject to the information provided in the motor home and car seat owner’s manuals, here is some general guidance:
It may be tempting to use seats that are not equipped with seat belts to carry more passengers in a motor home (for example, seats around a table). However, if the manufacturer has not equipped these seats with seat belts, they are not meant to be used during transportation. The Highway Safety Code prohibits carrying more passengers than there are seats equipped with seat belts.
The SAAQ authorizes the installation of additional seat belts only if the manufacturer originally designed the motor home to allow for this option and all required parts are installed by a dealer in compliance with the manufacturer’s specifications. The structure of the seats and the seat belt anchorages must have been designed and tested by the manufacturer to withstand the force generated by an occupant in the event of a crash. This is why it is sometimes impossible to add seat belts.
If you want to drive a vintage car and carry children less than 145 cm tall or younger than age 9, the law specifies that they must be seated in a child safety seat that is appropriate for their weight and height if the car is equipped with seat belts. However, depending on the characteristics of each car seat phase, it might be impossible to use a vintage car to transport a child.
Vintage cars are not equipped with anchors to attach universal anchorage system (UAS) connectors or car seat tether straps. In addition, vintage cars that are equipped with seat belts usually only have 2-point seat belts (lap belt only).
In light of the above, here is some general guidance (please note that in order to properly install your seat in compliance with specifications, you must always follow the instructions in the car seat owner’s manual):
If the vintage car was built in or before 1973 and is not equipped with a seat belt, you are exempted from the obligation to use a child safety seat (because it cannot be anchored in the vehicle).
If there is no child safety seat, children are required to wear a seat belt.
Fasten your seat belt first, then hold the child in your arms. In other words, do not buckle up together: in the event of an accident, you could crush the child.
For safety reasons, riding in a taxi or using a rideshare service with a child should be avoided, except in an emergency, unless you are able to secure the child in a safety seat.
Last update: June 4, 2022