An accident that seriously injured a four-year-old girl in Quebec City should act as a reminder to adults to always use a car seat when transporting children, said Quebec City police Thursday.

The girl remained in critical condition on Thursday with head and stomach injuries because she was not strapped into a booster seat.

François Bouchard with the Quebec City police said the girl was in the back seat of her mother's minivan when the mother became distracted by a bee or wasp and drove into oncoming traffic.

Bouchard said the four-year-old girl was wearing a seatbelt, but only the bottom strap held her in, which explained the serious injuries to her head and abdomen.

"At the moment of the accident, we [were] afraid for her life," said Bouchard. "During the evening, we receive information from the hospital [of] the very severe injuries she received, but we think she will be okay."

It's rare to see children without car seats, Bouchard said.

just a few years ago, car seats only had to be used for children who were five and under, said Yvon Lapointe, director of safety for the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA). But since five-year-olds can vary in size, the law was changed so children have to be at least 63 cm high while sitting to graduate to an adult seat belt.

Lapointe said there are 300 checkpoint garages around the province where parents can verify that their seats are properly installed and children are well-attached.