In accordance with the National Occupant Restraint Program (NORP) 2010 Strategy to increase seat belt and child restraint use in Canada, the following model of legislative provisions has been established by the NORP Task Force to serve as a guide for jurisdictions in implementing provisions for optimum passenger protection.

The underlying rationale for these provisions is that everyone being transported in a motor vehicle is restrained according to their size and development in a vehicle restraint system or child passenger restraint system. All recommended provisions apply the rationale that the driver assumes full responsibility for everyone in the vehicle under the age of sixteen, and ensures they are correctly restrained; and that children 37 kg and/or aged 8 and under are too small for vehicle seat belts as they are currently designed, and require child passenger restraint systems according to their size and development, and that passengers over the age of sixteen assume that responsibility for themselves, with appropriate sanctions for non-compliance.

The NORP Task Force recognizes the technology of occupant restraint and airbag systems are evolving and there may be advances that indicate the need for changes to the provisions listed here. It is further noted that children's restraint system manufacturers occasionally change the weight, height, and design parameters of their products and product use instructions, consequently references to specific products or size ranges for products have been omitted from these provisions.

Recommended Provisions:

1. No person shall operate or permit the operation of, a motor vehicle unless the driver and all passengers are properly restrained, in restraining devices of a kind prescribed in the regulations and the devices are properly secured to the motor vehicle.

2. The driver is responsible for ensuring that all passengers under the age of sixteen are restrained according to their size or development, either in a vehicle seat belt or child passenger restraint system that meets CMVSS standards and shall be called a child car seat or booster seat.

3. No person shall operate or permit the operation of a motor vehicle unless all passengers classified as infants or under one year of age are carried in rear-facing child seats.

4. No person shall operate or permit the operation of a motor vehicle while a rear-facing child restraining system is installed in the front seat and when the vehicle is equipped with an active air bag on the front passenger side.

5. No person shall operate or permit the operation of a motor vehicle unless passengers who are 37 kg (80 lbs.) and/or aged 8 and under are properly restrained in a device, as defined by regulations, appropriate for their size and according to manufacturer's instructions.

6. No person shall operate or permit the operation of a motor vehicle unless passengers aged 12 and under are lap/shoulder properly restrained in the rear seat, unless all such available positions in the rear seat are in use by other passengers 12 and under.

7. The use of aftermarket add-on devices for seat belts or children's restraint systems for which standards have not been established by Transport Canada is prohibited.

8. Any person who violates any of the above provisions shall be assessed a monetary fine and driver's licence demerit points.

9. The jurisdiction shall engage in: (i) public education and awareness activities to inform the public about proper occupant passenger protection, and (ii) enforcement campaigns to demonstrate strong commitment to vehicle occupant safety.

10. Exemptions should only be allowed where market availability of restraint systems do not match
the anthropomorphic data at the 95 percentile or vehicle seat belt/seat height configuration is not
compatible with commonly available products.