Canadian regulations

[Jewels]

I e-mailed transport Canada and MPI the 5 point harness utube video this morning and asked why we can't have seats like this in Canada? I haven't heard back from transport Canada but someone from MPI (our insurance company) emailed me almost right away asking me to call him so we could talk about this.

He said there is no way you can buy a seat in the US and have it certified in Canada and vice versa

He said that kids outgrow there seat by weight before height, which I disagree with because my ds outgrew his by height and no where close to the 40lbs the seat says it can hold. He also said they have never had a child who should be in a seat, and not find a seat for them to fit in. Also to not go by the height listed on the seat but where there head is and there shoulders are. He told me on an infant seat that the top of the head could be even with the top of the seat before you need to stop using it. I know here people say an 1" from the top and that is always what I have been told!

My son is in the marathon with the second from the top harness so I am hoping that will buy me a couple of years. But what if it doesn't? He is looking into this for me. He told me I could get a combo seat and that would last longer and I told him that the MA top slot is higher then most combo seats and is the one of the highest harnessed seat in Canada. I told him the Radian is the highest and he had heard of this seat!

Ideally I would really like to get the Regent, maybe they will try to get it in Canada Although I kind of doubt that.

[thepeach80]

For them to get it, I think they would have to change all their wording as to how much a 'child' weighs, that's why the limit is 48# there instead of 65#+. I did always wonder what Canada does about handicapped children who HAVE to be harnessed past 48#.

[Jewels]

A couple of weeks ago I wrote to Transport Canada regarding higher weight car seats in Canada and they never got back to me. Now suddenly when I send another e-mail to them and MPI I suddenly receive two e-mails the first one replying to the first e-mail and the other asking for my phone number so they can call me and discuss it!
This is there first e-mail:

> This is in reply to your Webmail inquiry of November 3, 2006, concerning child restraint systems with higher weight limits, like the Britax Regent.
>
> Under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act <http://www.tc.gc.ca/acts-regulations/GENERAL/m/mvsa/act/mvsa.html>, Transport Canada develops and enforces the Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Cushions Safety Regulations <http://www.tc.gc.ca/acts-regulations/GENERAL/m/mvsa/regulations/rssr/rssr.htm> (RSSR). Manufacturers or importers of equipment for use in the restraint of children must affix the national safety mark (i.e., a label with the Canadian maple leaf) to their products to certify they meet all applicable requirements in effect on the date of manufacture. The RSSR specifies administrative, labelling, installation instructions and Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) testing requirements for all prescribed classes of restraint system or booster cushion. Transport Canada monitors and ensures compliance with the RSSR by providing technical advice to manufacturers, conducting audits of manufacturers' certification documentation, conducting compliance testing, investigating compliance test failures and other non-compliance conditions, and investigating public complaints alleging safety-related defects.
>
> In regards to the Britax Regent, a forward-facing only restraint system designed for children weighing between 22 and 80 pounds, you are correct in that the product is not currently available in Canada. Please note, however, that the decision to market in Canada a particular model of equipment for use in the restraint of children rests with the manufacturer and/or the authorized importer. One aspect of this decision is the manufacturer's ability to meet its certification responsibilities. At this time, we are not aware of Britax> '> s intentions for Canada with respect to the aforementioned product, but you are certainly welcome to contact Britax Consumer Services at 1-888-427-4829.
>
> Notwithstanding the above, if Britax ever decided to market the Regent in Canada, the product would fall within the class of restraint system defined as > "> child restraint system> "> and it would have to meet all applicable requirements prescribed for child restraint systems. Currently, since by definition child restraint systems must be designed for use by persons whose weight is not less than 9 kg (20 pounds) and not more than 22 kg (48 pounds), the maximum weight use limit for the Regent, as recommended by Britax, could not exceed 48 pounds in Canada. This upper weight use limit of 22 kg (48 pounds) is intended to ensure the relevancy of the current dynamic test requirements using an anthropomorphic test device (i.e., a crash test dummy) representing a 3-year-old child weighing 33 pounds.
>
> For your information, the U.S. have recently upgraded their standard specifying requirements for child restraint systems (i.e., Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213) to introduce a new family of anthropomorphic test devices, some of which represent older children. This has allowed them to extend the upper weight use limit of child restraint systems to 30 kg (65 pounds) and to propose raising this limit even further to 36 kg (80 pounds) in order to offer parents and caregivers the option to keep their children longer in a child restraint system with an internal five-point harness for optimum protection. Transport Canada recognizes the merit and has undertaken to amend the RSSR accordingly.
>
> Finally, you should note that, while Transport Canada and the manufacturers or importers are responsible for the safety of the actual equipment for use in the restraint of children, it is the provinces and territories that mandate and enforce their use. Provinces and territories also require that products bear the national safety mark. Hence, it is not advisable to purchase a restraint system in the U.S. and use it in Canada, because it would not comply with the RSSR and it could not be used legally in any province or territory.>
>
> We trust this suitably answers your questions, and we thank you for your interest in road safety.
>
Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulations,
Transport Canada

[granolamama]

Originally Posted by Jewels

> This upper weight use limit of 22 kg (48 pounds) is intended to ensure the relevancy of the current dynamic test requirements using an anthropomorphic test device (i.e., a crash test dummy) representing a 3-year-old child weighing 33 pounds.

Wow, are they really saying that testing with a 33 lb dummy entitles a car seat to claim an upper weight limit of 48 lbs?? Please tell me I'm misunderstanding this. Unbelievable.

[supermommyof2]

"> Notwithstanding the above, if Britax ever decided to market the Regent in Canada, the product would fall within the class of restraint system defined as > "> child restraint system> "> and it would have to meet all applicable requirements prescribed for child restraint systems. Currently, since by definition child restraint systems must be designed for use by persons whose weight is not less than 9 kg (20 pounds) and not more than 22 kg (48 pounds), the maximum weight use limit for the Regent, as recommended by Britax, could not exceed 48 pounds in Canada. This upper weight use limit of 22 kg (48 pounds) is intended to ensure the relevancy of the current dynamic test requirements using an anthropomorphic test device (i.e., a crash test dummy) representing a 3-year-old child weighing 33 pounds."

Around the time my first son was born, a friend had told me about Britax carseats and that the only reason they didn't have the higher weight limit in Canada was because the govt didn't test them as high as they do in other countries. For several years I've been wondering about it. It's a bit of a relief to hear it first hand although it does worry me a bit. I just finished reading an article about the problems with carseat manufacturers and testing. I've always been obsessive about using my carseats correctly, but after reading this article I'm pretty worried about all the info we DON'T have.

Less than a year ago I accidentally found the Radian, and ended up purchasing one for my 4 yr old. I was pretty impressed that it seemed comparable to the Britax seats but a little cheaper. I did think it was a little odd that the only store in town that sells it is Canadian Tire. I came home and researched it on the net before I bought it. Although a little difficult to install, I've been very happy with it and was even happier to find out that they're now rated up to 65lbs in Canada! My only beef is that I'm convinced that the one I bought less than a year ago is identical to the "new" ones. I'm waiting to get responses from a couple emails I just sent regarding this (one to Sunshine Kids, and one to a store that sells the Radian). I'm pretty sure I'll get the answer I don't want to get, but I'm hoping that I won't end up having to buy an extra seat just do everything I can to try to keep my son safe.

[canadianmom2three]

It is identical in every respect aside from the sticker. When I bought my Radian (knowing full well that TC was in the process of upping the weight limits) it was under the 'promise' from SK that I would get a new sticker once the limits were raised. Unfortunately SK wasn't able to keep that promise, according to them TC would not allow them to issue new stickers for old seats in order to prevent misuse (stickering seats other than the radian I presume?) So here I am stuck with a seat stickered to 48lbs, and a 50lb child. I have made the parental decision to keep him in the Radian until he outgrows it by height, but thats just me