Sticky for the top of the "Canadian & International Issues" forum?

Should we put together a draft copy to sticky to the top of this forum? I'm thinking of some of the country-specific laws and regulations.

- RF and FF weight limits for differnet countries, top-tether usage
- contact numbers/links (ie Transport Canada, provincial insurance companies - MPI, SGI, etc)
- New Zealand allows seats to be imported from other countries, Canada and Australia do not
- FAQ

These are just ideas - someone else can decide if they are good or bad ideas.

Good idea Jacqui :thumbsup:

If you want me to put something together just let me know (for New Zealand)

CRS said:

If you want me to put something together just let me know (for New Zealand)

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That would be great.

JaRylan said:

That would be great.

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Should I put together a draft here? Or start another thread?

CRS said:

Should I put together a draft here? Or start another thread?

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Hmmm, I do not know, lol. I guess you could put it on here and then once we got everything all together we could copy and paste into a new thread and ask admin to sticky it. What do you think? Heck, we can always change our minds and start a new thread if we need to.

JaRylan said:

Hmmm, I do not know, lol. I guess you could put it on here and then once we got everything all together we could copy and paste into a new thread and ask admin to sticky it. What do you think? Heck, we can always change our minds and start a new thread if we need to.

Click to expand...

Your idea sounds good. I'll work on it

New Zealand Laws & Regulations

The Law

As the driver, you must make sure that:

• Any child under five years is properly restrained by an approved child restraint. They must not travel in the car if you can't put them in an approved child restraint.
  
• Children aged five to seven years are using a child restraint if there's one available. Otherwise they must use a safety belt if one is available. If there are no child restraints or safety belts available, they must travel in the back seat.
  
• Children aged 8 to 14 years must use a safety belt if one is available. Otherwise, they must travel in the back seat.

Note: A child under 15 years old may sit beside the driver only if the child is restrained by a child restraint or safety belt (whichever is appropriate for their age).


Exceptions to the Law

A child does not have to be in an approved child restraint if they're travelling in a:

• vintage vehicle (first registered before 1955) that isn't fitted with safety belts
• goods service vehicle (eg, a truck, van or utility) with an unladen weight over 2,000 kg that isn't fitted with safety belts
• passenger service vehicle (eg, taxi, shuttle, bus) that isn't fitted with safety belts.

However, where a safety belt is available in any of these vehicles, the child must be restrained, and where an approved child restraint is available, it must be used (where appropriate for the child's age and weight).

Note: The driver of a passenger service vehicle, such as a bus or taxi, is not legally responsible for ensuring seat belts are used (if fitted). It's up to the person in charge of the child to make sure they are used.


Safety Standards

All child restraints sold in New Zealand must comply with one of the following approved safety standards.

The approved standards for child restraints are:

• Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1754: Child restraint systems for use in motor vehicles
• British Standard BS 3254 for adult seat belts, forward-facing child safety seats and child harnesses
• British Standard BS AU185 for booster cushions
• British Standard BS AU202: Specification for rearward-facing restraint systems for infants, for use in road vehicles
• UN/ECE Regulation No. 44: Child restraint systems (Europe)
• Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213: Child restraint systems (USA)

Note: Restraints that comply with the United States Standard (FMVSS 213) must, in addition to any other markings, display the New Zealand Standard 'S' mark, to show they have been certified for use in New Zealand.

FAQ

Q:What is an "approved" child restraint?
A: An "approved" child restraint is one which is suitable for the age, size and weight of the child, and meets one of the few approved Safety Standards in New Zealand.

Q:Are there any laws mandating whether or not a child should face to the rear or front of the vehicle?
A:Currently there are no laws that dictate whether or not a child should face the back or front of the car. However it is strongly recommended by organisations such as Land Transport New Zealand, Child Safety Foundation New Zealand, Safe2Go, Safekids and Plunket, that children face the back of the car in a rear-facing child restraint for a minimum of 12 months of age.

Q:Who can check that my seat is correctly installed?
A:Safe2Go Technicians who are trained in the correct installation and use of child restraints can check that your restraint is correctly installed. To locate your nearest Technician visit: www.safe2go.co.nz

Additional links on child restraint use in New Zealand:

Land Transport New Zealand; Factsheet 7; Child restraints
Land Transport New Zealand; Factsheet 7; Exceptions to the law
Land Transport Rule; Vehicle Equipment 2004; Rule 32017; Part 1; Section 2; 2.9 Child restraints
Child Restraint Safety; The Law

Dang it, you are fast. I won't be able to work on any Canadian info until late next week...maybe someone else will do it.

JaRylan said:

Dang it, you are fast. I won't be able to work on any Canadian info until late next week...maybe someone else will do it.

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LOL no worries. I'll do one up for Australia too if no Aussies are here? Yea?

Nova Scotia Law

Here's the link to the actual legislation for Nova Scotia:

http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/regulations/regs/mvseatb.htm

In a nut shell...

Less than 1 year old and less than 22 lbs. must be in a properly used rearfacing restraint.

Over 1 year and more than 22 lbs but less than 40 lbs must be in a properly used rear or forward facing harnessed restraint. Boosters are not legal for use until the child reaches 40 lbs.

Children under 9 years of age, over 40 lbs, and less than 57" tall must use a booster seat unless they are using a harnessed restraint sytem.

All seats must be CMVSS compliant and be used according to the manufacturer's instructions.

The only exceptions to this legislation are through a medical exemption or in vehicles transporting prisoners. Also, vehicles registered out of province are to comply with seat belt legislation in the province of registration. If no child seat belt legislation exists in the registering province occupants under 16 are required to be in a seat belt system if there is one available to them.


Belinda

Belinda, do you have the information for the other provinces?


British Columbia:

Child safety seats - legal requirements

Just like seat belts, child safety seats also save lives. That’s why their use is required by law in BC. Here is a brief, plain language summary of the requirements:

* Drivers must ensure that all children under six years of age who are less than 9 kg (20 lb.) are properly secured in a certified rear-facing child seat.
* Parents or guardians must ensure that their children under the age of six who are from 9 kg (20 lb.) up to 18 kg (40 lb.) are properly secured in a certified forward-facing child safety seat.
* Drivers of passengers who are six and older right up to age 16 are required to ensure that their passengers are properly restrained in a seat belt.


Source: http://www.tsf-bcaa.com/your_childs_safety_and_the_law


And yes, this means that if I was driving a friend's 20lb 6 month old, they only have to be restrained by a seatbelt. Nice law, hey?


-Nicole.

I'll do Ontario in a day or so, if no one gets to it yet.

I'll get the Newfoundland one.

The following is taken from Manitoba Public Insurance

Rear-facing Infant Carrier or
Rear-facing Convertible Seat

Use these seats for newborns through to infants up to about 1 year of age. The main difference between the two styles is that the rear-facing infant carrier can't be converted to a forward-facing seat once your child turns 1 or reaches 22 lb and 26 inches.

The convertible seat does allow you to do this, but it's not easily carried around. So, the standard rear-facing infant carrier may be best for you if you require something to carry your baby in once you reach your destination.

Convertible Seats or Forward-facing Seats

Once your child reaches 1 year of age, they're ready to graduate to a front-facing seat.

The seat should be installed in the middle of the backseat, and it must be tethered to the metal frame of your vehicle by the anchor bolt. If your vehicle doesn't have an anchor bolt already installed (most newer vehicles do) your vehicle dealership can install it for you.

Fasten the harness over your child, and adjust the chest clip so it's at armpit level. There should be very little "give" in the harness; you shouldn't be able to slide more than one finger between your child and the harness on either side of the chest clip.

Your child can remain in this seat until they are about 40 lb (18 kg). When is your child too tall for the seat? If the mid-point of your child's ear is over the top of the child car seat, it's time to move them to another seat.

Universal Attachment System

The Universal Attachment system is also referred to as the LATCH (lower anchorage and tether for children) system. This is a new system for attaching children's restraint systems into a vehicle.

After September 1, 2002, all passenger cars, vans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and 4x4s have two attachment bars within the seat bight. Children's restraint systems will have the attachments to hook onto the bars in the vehicles. Tether straps will still be used as a top anchorage point for forward facing seats.

The seat belt assembly will not be used with the LATCH system. However, the new restraint systems will be designed so that they can be installed with the vehicle seat belt when a LATCH system is not available in the vehicle.

Booster Seats

A booster seat raises your child up so the seat belt rests properly across their chest and hips. There are 2 kinds of booster seats: cushion boosters and high-back boosters.

Boosters in Canada are designed for children between 40-100 lb (18-45 kg) and require both a lap and shoulder belt to use.

Keep your child in the booster seat until they reach the maximum weight and height guidelines for your model. Remember, if the mid-point of your child's ear is over the top of the seat, it's time to move them out.

The standard recommendation in North America is to keep children in booster seats in age eight and/or 80 lb (36 kg).

Seatbelts

Children who have reached age eight and/or 80 lb (36 kg) can now safely use a regular seatbelt system. The lap belt should be worn low over the hips, and the shoulder belt should always be across the chest, never touching the face or neck.

Children under 12 are safest in the backseat.

For more information on child car seats, call the Road Safety department at 1-888-767-7640 (toll free) or 985-7199 in Winnipeg.

You can also check for recalls and other public notices on Transport Canada's website at www.tc.gc.ca.

I also found this at the Manitoba Car Seat Coalition
Manitoba Laws

The Manitoba Highway Traffic Act states that ALL children that are under the age of 5 years and are under the weight of 50 lbs, must be restrained in a Canadian approved child restraint device. All forward facing child seats must be secured with a tether strap and anchor system. The fine for having a child unrestrained, or improperly restrained, is $235.00 (same as seat belt legislation).

The MCSC supports the formal recommendation of changing the Highway Traffic Act to accommodate the proper restraint of all children less than 8 years of age, and 36 kg (80 lbs), in conventional child restrain devices. The MSCS also supports the recommendation of increasing driver penalties to $235.00 and 2 demerits for each child in the vehicle who is unrestrained, or improperly restrained for his/her age and weight.

Here's a PFD document concerning child safety in Quebec: http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/publications/prevention/siege_an.pdf

Basically the law states that child seats must be used rear-facing until the child weighs 20 lbs (9 kg), that a child must be secured in a harnessed seat FF until at least 40lbs, and that a booster must be used until the child measures 25" (63 cm) in a seated position (from seat to top of head, basically). Boosters cannot be used until a child weight 40 lbs. There are no minimal height, weight or age requirements before a child can sit with a seat belt alone (which is the weakest part of the law, IMO), just that 25" seated measure.

Here is Newfoundland in a nutshell.

In a child restraint until 40 lbs OR 5 years of age.
Driver responsible for restraint use of passengers under 16 in vehicle.
Written in 1979, passed in 1982.

So basically RF to 20lbs & 1yr, FF to 40lbs and a booster till 5. After 5 its up to the parents to use4 a booster but its not the law.

KISS NL (Carseat action group) is lobbying to get this updated as its very old. As you can see its been in effect since 1982.
BethANn