Rules of the road

Your Vehicle & Getting Ready

Pre-drive checks and keeping your vehicle roadworthy.

Sit high enough to see the road four metres ahead, adjust mirrors so a shoulder check remains the only real way to clear your blind spot, and match every child’s restraint to their actual weight and height.

Getting ready to drive is not a formality: your seating position determines how far you can see and how quickly you can react, and Ontario’s child-restraint rules are set by exact weight and height, not general age.

Key facts

You should sit high enough to see over the steering wheel and hood, and be able to see the ground about four metres in front of the vehicle.
A driver who fails to buckle up faces a fine and two demerit points, and every passenger must be buckled into their own seatbelt, child car seat, or booster seat.

Set up your seat and mirrors correctly

Sit high enough in the seat to see over the steering wheel and hood, with your elbows slightly bent so you can reach the pedals and wheel without stretching; you should be able to see the ground about four metres in front of the vehicle. If your headrest is adjustable, position it so the back of your head sits directly in front of its middle.

Adjust your interior mirror to show the centre of the rear window, and set each side mirror so you can just see the rear corner of your own vehicle. Because side mirrors only show a narrow angle, a shoulder check remains the only reliable way to confirm your blind spot is actually clear.

Wear a seatbelt correctly, every time

Every passenger must be buckled into their own seatbelt, child car seat, or booster seat; a driver who is not buckled up faces a fine and two demerit points. A seatbelt should fit snugly enough to hold you in place during a collision, with the shoulder strap crossing your shoulder and the lap belt sitting low over your hips, never across your stomach.

A loose or incorrectly positioned seatbelt provides far less protection in a collision, so check the fit every time you get in, not just the first time you set up the vehicle.

Match child restraints to weight and height, not age alone

A child under 9 kg needs a rear-facing car seat. A child between 9 and 18 kg needs a forward-facing car seat with a top tether. A child between 18 and 36 kg, or under 145 cm tall, needs a booster seat.

A child may use a regular seatbelt only once they are at least 8 years old, at least 36 kg, and at least 145 cm tall; meeting only one or two of those three conditions is not enough to move them out of a booster seat.

Common mistakes

Sitting too low to see the ground clearly in front of the vehicle.
Relying on side mirrors alone instead of a shoulder check before changing lanes.
Positioning a lap belt across the stomach instead of low over the hips.
Moving a child out of a booster seat based on age alone, without checking their actual weight and height.

Check your understanding

1. How far in front of the vehicle should you be able to see the ground once you are properly seated?

About four metres in front of the vehicle.

2. Why is a shoulder check still necessary even after your mirrors are correctly adjusted?

Side mirrors only show a narrow angle of view, so a shoulder check remains the only reliable way to confirm your blind spot is clear.

3. At what weight and height can a child move from a booster seat to a regular seatbelt?

At least 8 years old, at least 36 kg, and at least 145 cm tall; all three conditions must be met.

Official references

Facts reviewed 2026-09-17.

81 questions available in this topic.

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