You may have seen on the news that regulations for car seats are changing in Canada as of January 1, 2010. We have received many questions concerning this. Some parents are wondering if they will need to go out and buy a new seat. Some are wondering why they are making seats bigger for children, questioning childhood obesity as the reason for the change.
Unfortunately this is one way in which the media has misconstrued public information. The good news is, there is no need to worry about your child’s car seat! I spoke with Valerie Lee from the Infant and Toddler Safety Association of Canada and she gave me the answers to some of your questions.
First off, there will not be a shortage of car seats in the new year. The new regulations have changed so that they are accepting car seats that can go up to 65lbs. A couple of years ago these seats were introduced to the Canadian market, but were not tested under the CSA standard. Before these seats came out forward facing 5 point harness car seats only went up to 48lbs. Now they go up to 65lbs. which is great because the longer you can keep your child in a 5 point harness, the safer your child will be.
There are also new regulations for forward facing car seats. It used to be that when your child was a year old and 20lbs. they could be turned from rear facing to forward facing. The new regulations add on that your child must be able to walk unassisted also before they are forward facing. In the same way as the five point harness is safest, the longer you can keep your child rear facing the safer your child is.
So, there is nothing to be concerned about. The seats are not going to look any different, you are just going to be able to use them longer. We have already had these seats in Canada for three years, so there should not be any shortage in them.
If you have any questions, please post a comment or give us a call at Kids West 853-4066.
