Current Laws for Newfoundland??

[lperrault]

I am wondering about harnessed car seats in Newfoundland. I have read the following information from the chart on www.sickkids.ca...

Children must ride in a car seat until they are a minimum of 5 years old and a minimum of 40 pounds (18 kg).

But on another posting I thought it said for another province that this was supposed to read OR instead of AND...so my SIL called the RCMP and asked the regulation and they told her that kids have to be in a car seat (which I assume means harnessed) until 60 lbs which didn't make sense to me since the other regulations I have read about are 40, 47-8 and 65lbs...I am confused!!! I have a son 3.5 years old, 46lbs in an Evenflo Generations and I am going to need a new seat very soon! I was hoping to put him in a booster seat or just convert the Generations seat into a booster but if he needs to be in a harness until he's 5 then I am going to need a new seat...Can someone help clarify this for me??? What is the legal regulation and what is your recommendation?

TIA, I have many people interested in finding out what is going on here:)

Lisa

[Nennib]

Regardless of the law (which I am going to go and dig into a little more in a moment) he is far too young to move into a belt positioning booster seat. At a minimum he needs to be harnessed to 4 years old but safety wise, he should remain harnessed to around 6 years old.

Here is a good link to read about moving to a booster seat (hope I picked the right link) -
http://www.freewebs.com/sacredjourneys/preschoolpreteen.htm

I would strongly recommend getting him a new harnessed car seat. I don't know a lot about what to recommend - I have skinny minny kids, my 7.25 year old is still harnessed in her Generations.

Nenni

[unityco]

I think it's been agreed here that for most regulations the phrase "car seat" refers to any kind of child restraint, not just harnessed seats - boosters would be included.

That said, you should see every move forward in your child's car restraint as a step down in safety: a rear-facing seat is safer than a forward-facing harness; a forward facing harness is safer than a booster; a booster is safer than a seatbelt alone. You should try to maximize your child's time in the safest restraint they fit into. :thumbsup: The legal minimum is not the safest option.

The very, very bare minimum people here like to see children in booster seats is 4. Most would prefer to see kids harnessed to 5-6. It's around that age that children can begin to understand car safety and control their impulses to play with their buckles, or move out of position. There are quite a few seats on the Canadian market now that can harness to 65lbs and could see your son to a good booster age: Cosco Apex, First Years True Fit, Sunshine Kids Radian, Britax Marathon & Frontier, (and hopefully within the year Graco Nautilus.) The recommendation on this board would be to get your son another harnessed seat. :thumbsup: If you can tell us more about your vehicle(s) and budget we can give you a more specific recommendation.

I hope that helps you! Thanks for visiting and asking questions! :)

[Nennib]

Here is the link I found to the actual law - I think it is the right/current law

http://www.assembly.nl.ca/legislation/sr/annualstatutes/2007/0723.chp.htm

It only talks about weight (not age) as the actual written law for Ontario (and I am guessing other provinces) does.

The law states you can use either a booster seat or a child car seat (as allowed by the manufacturer) when a child weighs over 18 kg (40pounds). But the law it just a bare minimum.

[Jewels]

Booster laws in New Foundland and Labrador:

Newfoundland and Labrador Has Booster Seat Legislation!!

Starting July 1, 2008, all children under the age of 8 who are heavier than 18kg (40 lbs) but less than 37kg (80 lbs) and under 145cm (4'9") tall need to be in a booster seat. The driver of the vehicle - parent, caregiver, daycare, grandparent, etc. is responsible to see that the child is safely restrained. Children less than 18kg (40 lbs) must be secured in a car seat.

What does that mean to us?

First off - a celebration. YES!! YIPEE! FANTASTIC!! CAKE! MUSIC! Second, we need to educate, educate, educate so this change is as smooth as possible.
Can a driver be charged by the police if this isn't happening?

Yes, it is 2 demerit points and $115 fine.
If a smaller child is currently not in a booster seat (eg. 7-years old and 65 lbs) does he or she have to get in a booster seat on July 1st, 2008?

Yes.
Won't some parents and caregivers balk because of the cost of getting a booster seat?

There might be some people that are upset at the extra cost. KISS has a handout called Too Cool for a Booster Seat? / How do I Afford a Booster Seat? (http://www.kidsinsafeseats.ca/pdf/too_cool.pdf) There are quite a few ideas about both affording one and getting your child into one. Remember that if the vehicle has head-rests in the back, a simple booster seat can cost as little as $25 to $35.
Where can I see the specific legislation and media release from the Newfoundland and Labrador government?

The legislation can be found on the house of assembly web site here. (http://www.hoa.gov.nl.ca/hoa/bills/Bill0723.htm) The media release can be found here (http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2007/gs/0608n10.htm).

[lperrault]

So it seems that legally a child 40 lbs and over can be put in a booster even if they are under 5 but the general recommendation is to keep them harnessed until 5 or 6...so maybe I should get a new harnessed seat for our main seat and on very short trips back and forth from the babysitter which is less than 2 KM from our house and in a school zone so slow driving, maybe my husband could use our Generations as a booster if I am away with the harnessed seat. (This does not happen often but every now and then there is a rare occasion when we are needing a second seat. Like maybe only once in six months.)

[Nennib]

You will have to make that call (about the occassional trips) but remember an accident can happen anywhere, at any speed, regardless of how safely you are driving (between DH and I we have been in 4 accidents in 5 years, none our fault, 3 of them within a couple miles of home).
I would say you should consider these questions:
1. Can your child remain properly positioned for the entire length of every ride, never leaning out of the shoulder belt?
2. Will your child leave the seatbelt properly positioned flat across the collar bone and hips/thighs?
and maybe test him sitting in the booster seat to make sure the belt does hit the right spots before you decide.
Do you need high weight seat recommendations? What slot is he using in the Generations and where are his shoulders compared to that slot? What is his torso length?

[lperrault]

Someone mentioned earlier if I provided the info on my vehicle you could help recommend a seat...I have a 2004 Ford Taurus...I am now considering the True Fit on sale at TRU if they have any left...would this be OK? Would it take up a lot of room in the backseat? I just found out I am pregnant again and will also have the infant seat from the Graco Quattro Travel System in use as well next Spring and would like to have room for another passenger if possible.

Thanks for all your responses...very helpful!

Lisa

[unityco]

If you want to preserve the ability to carry three passengers in the back seat, you might want to look at the Radian, rather than the True Fit. The Radian is the narrowest seat available, and would make it easier to get three people in the back. It also has high top slots - meaning your child will not outgrow it by height too quickly. It is more expensive, though, and can be difficult to install, depending on your vehicle (I'm not familiar with the Taurus, it's pretty easy in our Focus.) It can also be hard to find locally so you can "try before you buy" (there are Canadian online sources for them.)

Are you in St. John's? If they had them anywhere in your province, I would think it would be there.

Otherwise, I think the True Fit would be a great choice!

HTH! :)

[Neatfreak]

When I was living in St. John's in 2006/2007, I found Kids in Safe Seats (http://www.kidsinsafeseats.ca/index.html)to be the best resource for the pertinent car seat info, though it's not as comprehensive as sites like this for info on stuff like extending rear-facing and such. I never saw another car seat other than my kiddo's that had a high weight limit, for example ...

The one "boutique" shop that I found during our time in St. John's was coo chi coo (http://www.coochicoo.net/)- they might carry car seats that Sears/TRU/Wal-Mart/Zellers does not. And there might be more shopping options now than there was when we lived there.

[HONEYhas3]

I have a Ford Taurus, here is my 3 across

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/honeyhineyho/car10.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/honeyhineyho/car6.jpg

My seats are a MA and a Radian. Lots of room for a passanger, DH and I fit fine back there.

[east coast mommy]

I am wondering about harnessed car seats in Newfoundland. I have read the following information from the chart on www.sickkids.ca...

Children must ride in a car seat until they are a minimum of 5 years old and a minimum of 40 pounds (18 kg).

But on another posting I thought it said for another province that this was supposed to read OR instead of AND...so my SIL called the RCMP and asked the regulation and they told her that kids have to be in a car seat (which I assume means harnessed) until 60 lbs which didn't make sense to me since the other regulations I have read about are 40, 47-8 and 65lbs...I am confused!!! I have a son 3.5 years old, 46lbs in an Evenflo Generations and I am going to need a new seat very soon! I was hoping to put him in a booster seat or just convert the Generations seat into a booster but if he needs to be in a harness until he's 5 then I am going to need a new seat...Can someone help clarify this for me??? What is the legal regulation and what is your recommendation?

TIA, I have many people interested in finding out what is going on here:)

Lisa


Hi Lisa...I think it is up to you. Some new seats allow (with proper fit) your child to stay harnessed until they reach approx. 65lbs. Transport Canada allowed this weight increase last year (Canadian seats use to have a max 48lb harness limit). A child is safer in a harnessed position but it is still up to you the route you go. Newfoundland now has a new law as of last month that you have to keep a child in a booster until thier ninth birthday but that has nothing to do with harnessed car seats. Make any sensen?

[nlmom]

I'm from Newfoundland and as much as I love the new laws I wish they had of been more clear in the specifics of the term booster seat. Too many people are just going out and buying the $20 seats with no back :(

I think someone already posted the link for KISS http://kidsinsafeseats.ca/ They are a great local organization and a great resource. They have clinics for seat inspection quite regularly and you can also email for appointments as well.