New Rules for Car Seats in Canada

Flygirl

New member
Has anyone heard very much about this?
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070518/car_seats_070518/20

I just bought the Apex for my child but the current weight for using the harness is 48 lbs. In the US I think it is tested for 65.

I'm wondering when the new tested seats will start being sold in Canada or if my Apex seat will now be covered for up to 65 lbs. I still have time to take my car seat back so I'm in a bit of a spot.

Any one with info I'd love to hear about it!
 
ADS

mommycat

Well-known member
I saw the article but nothing beyond that yet. I was going to buy a Radian but I can wait so I will be waiting to see where this goes.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
The word so far is that there will not be any stickers issued.:(

I thought Russ had originally told someone from this board that new stickers would be issued for the Radians? :confused:

FWIW, I emailed transport canada over the weekend for clarification on the new regulations and asked them a few questions... espeically because the new order talks extensively about the FMVSS 213 which is the US certification. I'll be posting when I hear back from them, but I expect it to be awhile. :whistle:
 

JaRylan

New member
I thought Russ had originally told someone from this board that new stickers would be issued for the Radians? :confused:

FWIW, I emailed transport canada over the weekend for clarification on the new regulations and asked them a few questions... espeically because the new order talks extensively about the FMVSS 213 which is the US certification. I'll be posting when I hear back from them, but I expect it to be awhile. :whistle:

Yes, originally Russ had said that stickers would be issued (this may have been back in February or something). Then once the news came down from Transport Canada the stickering of existing seats is apparently not something that TC was going to allow. I sure hope you find out different. Could you pm me the email that you sent to TC? I won't copy it but use it as a guideline to send them my own email, maybe if they get enough of them asking for retroactive stickering of identical seats it will matter. My basement flooded this weekend, my car is in the shop for $500 and my child and spousal support payment for the month was cashed by someone else....I have no brain power left to come up with something on my own, lol.
 

cantech

New member
Here is the link to the Canada Gazette you have to scroll quite a way down to "Transport Canada". http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2007/20070505/html/notice-e.html

It's the only "official" thing I've been able to find regarding the increase in weight limits to 30kgs. I'm not familiar enough with our Canadian procedure for ammending Acts to know if this is just the proposed changes or the official interim regulations. If anyone else is up on our parliamentary procedure please educate me! It does reference the US FMVSS but there is a very explicit line requiring top tethering.

As for the issuance of new stickers to higher standards...it will be up to the manufacturers. They may choose to do so but...

Belinda
 

QuassEE

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I sent an email to my instructor here in BC saying that the way the interim law reads is that you can use FMVSS seats as long as you submit to the top tethering requirements of Canada. That's *exactly* the way that text reads to me. I got an email from TC forwarded back (I'm not sure who at TC? Barb maybe, but this wasn't confirmed for me when I asked for further clarification about WHY it says FMVSS when..) and it was stated that NO you cannot use US seats.

Okay, why is there FMVSS all over that text, and why does it specify having to use top tether (that not being an FMVSS requirement, but being a CMVSS requirement).. If they meant CMVSS, why does it say FMVSS?

The law seems to read that you can use FMVSS seats. That much seems clear. TC is saying no. Uhhmhm.. Do I have every right to be confused here?

This is why I've been holding my tongue on this one...I've got the law on one hand that says one thing, and TC on the other hand saying something completely different. Something isn't clear here. I requested a plain text version of the interim law from TC via my instructor and received nothing back.

Definitely...it's time to contact TC. I think the way to go is simply request a plain text summary of the interim law, with clarification of the usage of FMVSS vs CMVSS in the law, if this supposedly has nothing to do with US certs...

-N.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
*Insert great big huge blushing icon here.* :eek:

I meant to copy and paste the email to TC, but I sent it through the contact us form and hit submit and was done before I realized I should've done it. :eek:

I did explicitly ask why the code talked about FMVSS 213 when it was the US certification standard. I also asked why the order effect date is from may 1 this year until april 30 next year and if a permanent revision will be coming out at that time.

Quassee - That's exaclty how I understood the text at the gazette. FMVSS 213 certified plus add a top tether. Although reading it again, I'm starting to think that maybe they're talking strictly about the crash test dummies?

The whole re-sticker thing, I think that if there were no changes to the seats that manufacturers probably could grandfather in the 30kg max since they've already done the testing. But then again, when the government put the rf'ing max weight at 30lbs, they didn't make manufacturers issue lower weight stickers for seats....

So anyways, I asked specifically about why FMVSS 213 was referenced so much instead of CMVSSS 213 and that if a seat was FMVSS certified and used with a top tether if it would be allowed.

I also brought up car seat manufacturers and importing new seats - told them recaro's comment about the expense involved in certifying a seat in Canada despite it having been designed for the north american market. Mentioned the need for HWH seats.

Asked about the max rf'ing weight limit of 30lbs on the same models that hive higher rf'ing max weights in the US. Also asked about the 32" max all convertibles *except Evenflo,* are labelled with and asked about how the same Cosco seats in the US are now labelled with a min 34" height in order to be used ff'ing.

So those were the basics of my email. I asked for specific clarification that would assist me in my dealings with Recaro, so we'll see what comes of that. - I'm hoping with research and getting ducks in a row, combined with the new legislation, that recaro will be more willing to market their new convertible in Canada.

Like I said, I expect to wait awhile for a response, especially since I asked about quite a few different things regarding seats in Canada. I'll be sure to post when I hear back though - and hopefully they'll address each of the issues...
 

Misty-Bug

New member
you know I would like to know the answer to some of those questions. I have the Costco Alpha Omega Elite. I really want to get a seat that RF longer but it doesn't up here. And why can they be harnassed to 40lbs but only RFing until 30? I need a better seat! Now to convince DH
 

Misty-Bug

New member
so how do we know if our seats are gonna be the ones that get the new stickers only? Is there a website or something? I don't think mine would. It has pretty low harness spots.
 

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