Roadside Inspection Warning

I am writing this to let other parents know that Roadside Car Seat check-stops are happening and the Calgary area inspector is extremely strict. Double check the fit of your car seats. It might be the vagueness of the specific law or an overzealous inspector, but you do not want to take a chance with a ticket or your children.

Although, I have my children in forward facing UAS tethered car seats, I was fined for having the car seat harness too loose for the inspector's liking (she could fit more than one finger under the strap at the collarbone). The kids were wearing winter jackets and I felt confident that they were well strapped in, but it was not deemed good enough. Be careful.

In Alberta, it is a $115 fine so be warned and know the laws and your rights.

Glad to see there are checks happening! Sorry you got ticketed but it doesn't sound like they where being rough on you... winter jackets and carseats don't mix and they do interfere with the harness. A harness needs to be tight or it will not work in a collision, most parents don't have it tight enough.

Here it shows you how to safely wear a winter coat in carseats.

:thumbsup:

I'm happy to hear that seat checks are happening, and that it's where I live.

OP, I'm sorry you rec'd a ticket, but as pp's mentioned, winter wear and car seats just don't mix. By the time you loosen the harness enough to accomodate a thick coat the harness is just too loose. During a collision, the thick cost compresses, and what seemed like a tight harness isn't, leaving the child at risk for ejection.

Were you given the information on the Option 4 program? (pay the ticket OR take a child restraint related course and have your ticket waived).

Ditto on the option 4 program. It's easy enough to take the education session and have the ticket waived. The enforcement program is designed to encourage proper use and provide parents with the education necessary when needed, it's not intended as a money grab. Hopefully you were given the paperwork with the option 4 information - if so, call the number and find out when the next session is and don't sweat it.

I understand it being frustrating to receive a ticket when you think that you're doing everything right, but sometimes it's the little things that matter... I can't speak for whether she was unfair in her evaluation of the harness tightness or not, but I wouldn't sweat it too much since there's a way to not have to pay out of pocket and extra education is good for everyone. :thumbsup:

I was told about this in October when I took the tech course and was really excited that its happening. I know it sucks to get a ticket but at least now your kids will be a little safer, KWIM? I just wish they would have some more education and enforcement in Lethbridge, I see so much misuse, its very sad

To AB Parent,

I'm curious about this roadside check. How did the inspector check your carseat/child? Was the check complete from tight installation, expiration, recall, fit of child, UAS for the right weight (of the child), top tether, etc.? Was the inspector a trained tech, trained tech also a police officer, etc.? Did she give you the info on outerwear and harnessing, better alternative on how to harness and dress your child, etc.?

I'm so curious

hipmaman said:

To AB Parent,

I'm curious about this roadside check. How did the inspector check your carseat/child? Was the check complete from tight installation, expiration, recall, fit of child, UAS for the right weight (of the child), top tether, etc.? Was the inspector a trained tech, trained tech also a police officer, etc.? Did she give you the info on outerwear and harnessing, better alternative on how to harness and dress your child, etc.?

I'm so curious

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Tam,

Just FYI, I got stopped at one last June in BC. They were CRSTs, and there was an RCMP officer parked beside them, but he stayed in his car. (Probably waiting to hand out tickets for misuse (or total lack of use). I had four empty seats in the car and they asked me what seats they were (didn't recognize Radian or Apex), if they were CDN seats (didn't check for stickers), ages and weights of children that sat in the harnessed seats, checked for movement at the beltpath :thumbsup:, checked for tightness of my tethers :thumbsup:, and didn't look at my boosters at all (even my Parkway!). They didn't have scales that I could see, and didn't give me any kind of info on CPS at all.

I was so freakin excited when I saw them there. I pulled over before they even flagged me down, and unrolled my window yelling "YAY! Do you want to check my seats?!!! YAY!".

I'm glad to see they are doing it in AB too.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

hipmaman said:

To AB Parent,

I'm curious about this roadside check. How did the inspector check your carseat/child? Was the check complete from tight installation, expiration, recall, fit of child, UAS for the right weight (of the child), top tether, etc.? Was the inspector a trained tech, trained tech also a police officer, etc.? Did she give you the info on outerwear and harnessing, better alternative on how to harness and dress your child, etc.?

I'm so curious

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I can answer about the roadside check Jen and I did in Red Deer with the sheriff and peace officers, and for how they're done here. Police are there, and responsible for pulling over the vehicles. Only vehicles that have occupied child restraints are stopped - empty child restraints wouldn't be looked at. In Red Deer we weren't checking for CMVSS stickers, I'm not sure if they do here or not. A seat that obviously wasn't Canadian would be caught, but one that's sold both here and in the US likely wouldn't have been.

Each restraint can be ticketed a maximum of 3 times. Once for how the child is restrained - so harness tightness and height is checked, along with chest clip placement. Wrong orientation of the restraint for the size of the child would fall in to the use I believe, but I'm not totally sure on that one. In terms of installation there can be 2 tickets issued on a ff'ing seat but only 1 on a rf'ing seat... installs are checked for tightness at the belt path and correct threading of the UAS or seat belt, and in the case of a ff'ing seat whether or not it's top tethered.

At the checks here in the city, the police approach the vehicles and get permission from the parents, the techs inspect the seats and how the children are restrained, and then report back to the police officer in regards to if there is any misuse; then it's up to the officer as to whether or not they issue a ticket. The techs at checks in the city here are mostly part of the injury prevention team with public health, so while they mostly rely on what a parent reports as the child's weight, if a kid obviously weighs under 40lbs and is in a booster or just the seat belt, they will often recommend issuing a ticket with the provision that the ticket will be dropped if the parent submits proof of the child's weight having been appropriate for the type of restraint he/she was in. Whether or not a ticket is issued will depend on the officer - in cases of minor things then officers have been known to just give a warning - like a chest clip 1/2" low isn't likely to get you a ticket in most cases...

Parents are told what is wrong with the seats, and how to correct it. In Red Deer we corrected the seats, but my understanding is only major misuse is corrected at the roadside checks here. In the case of non-restraint or lack of an appropriate restraint, parents will be held at the check point until somebody can bring an appropriate restraint for the child - they won't allow a child to leave unrestrained or in a damaged seat, or a 4 mo old in a ff'ing seat etc.

Option 4 is provided to most drivers, but not all. There aren't scales there, and I'd place money on there not being a question in regards to vehicle UAS limits and what the child weighs... maybe with a child over 48lbs? Definitely not with one underneath though. I can't speak for other districts in regards to that though. I just know that the update here was for the recommendation to discontinue use of UAS at 48lbs unless a vehicle manual states otherwise. And since most manuals don't say, that pretty much makes the recommendation most people are being told to be 48lbs.

I know that some areas in the province are of the ticket wherever possible, and other areas only issue tickets that they know will stick if challenged in court. This creates some discrepancy because up here a child with the seatbelt worn in the correct orientation - meaning shoulder belt in front and lap belt over lap, won't get a ticket if he/she is over 40lbs regardless of how the seatbelt fits. Down south they're ticketing for non-booster use period if the child doesn't pass the 5 step test. From a legal standpoint, if a parent challenged the non-booster use ticket they'd likely win provided that they weren't misusing the seatbelt by sticking the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back etc. An improper belt fit on it's own won't get you a ticket up here just because it wouldn't likely stick if challenged in court.

Sorry for kind of rambling. Hopefully the OP will come back to share more of her experience. Even with the same provincial laws and general common program there is still always going to be variation in how each district organizes and it would be neat to know what it was like for her.

I should add too, that the roadside checks do make a difference, and maybe they are ticketing for expired seats here now that I think about it... I've had a few parents come in to BRU while I've been working who are replacing old seats because someone they know has gotten a ticket and they know their seat is old and unsafe. So some people truly are more motivated by getting a ticket then by just keeping their kids safe. It's sad, but true. So in that regard, the roadside checks are not only helping keep the kids safe who go through them, but the parents who have their seats checked are also talking to their friends who in turn work to make sure they don't get tickets. :thumbsup:

good to hear they are doing them! I wonder if I'll get stopped when I head to Calagary next week!! LOL we sure need them here in Lethbridge Area. the misuse is terribal!

Thanks for all the replies. I am %100 in favour of ensuring that children are properly restrained in their car seats. Before reading the replies, I was unaware that car seats do not work with winter coats. Without attending a specific class or being informed by someone who knows, this information does not seem readily available or mentioned in car seat manuals. I will have to pass the winter coat trick on to others. It looks a bit tricky for our sub-zero weather, but must be done.

The roadside check-stop experience was indeed frustrating. It was frustrating because I found the inspector (Calgary Police Service ID, but not an officer) was very accusational, abrupt and somewhat abusive. When I asked a question of UAS versus seat belt, she raised her voice and her tone made my partner turn away from her altogether. She did not provide any information as to ensuring the harness fit, placement, ages, etc. However, she did demand the weight of my 18 month (forward facing) and said she could tighten a strap just by pulling on it (untrue as I tightened it myself on installation with my full body weight on it). To be honest, it felt like she intended to have tickets issued before she inspected the car seats.

The inspector was looking for ages, weights, proper installation of the seats, tether strap, tightness of harness - she did not really say so this is what I observed. And, as I mentioned she did not offer much in the way of information. A police officer issued the tickets and informed me of the Car Seat seminar option (he told me before the inspection occurred).

Thankfully, we are able to attend one of the Car Seat seminars in lieu of paying the fine. If not, I would take the issue to court and file a formal complaint.

Hopefully, I do not sound too bitter, but I was a bit turned off the process. I am in favour of car seat check-stops, but I feel that in my relatively minor infraction, there should have been more emphasis on information and less so on ticketing. There is a time and place for both, but considering the apparent lack of knowledge among the majority (in my experience from talking to others) I feel that this particular inspector might need some education herself. Car seat check-stops should be occur to correct mistakes and, if need be, fine flagrant violations.

AB Parent said:

Thanks for all the replies. I am %100 in favour of ensuring that children are properly restrained in their car seats. Before reading the replies, I was unaware that car seats do not work with winter coats. Without attending a specific class or being informed by someone who knows, this information does not seem readily available or mentioned in car seat manuals. I will have to pass the winter coat trick on to others. It looks a bit tricky for our sub-zero weather, but must be done.

The roadside check-stop experience was indeed frustrating. It was frustrating because I found the inspector (Calgary Police Service ID, but not an officer) was very accusational, abrupt and somewhat abusive. When I asked a question of UAS versus seat belt, she raised her voice and her tone made my partner turn away from her altogether. She did not provide any information as to ensuring the harness fit, placement, ages, etc. However, she did demand the weight of my 18 month (forward facing) and said she could tighten a strap just by pulling on it (untrue as I tightened it myself on installation with my full body weight on it). To be honest, it felt like she intended to have tickets issued before she inspected the car seats.

The inspector was looking for ages, weights, proper installation of the seats, tether strap, tightness of harness - she did not really say so this is what I observed. And, as I mentioned she did not offer much in the way of information. A police officer issued the tickets and informed me of the Car Seat seminar option (he told me before the inspection occurred).

Thankfully, we are able to attend one of the Car Seat seminars in lieu of paying the fine. If not, I would take the issue to court and file a formal complaint.

Hopefully, I do not sound too bitter, but I was a bit turned off the process. I am in favour of car seat check-stops, but I feel that in my relatively minor infraction, there should have been more emphasis on information and less so on ticketing. There is a time and place for both, but considering the apparent lack of knowledge among the majority (in my experience from talking to others) I feel that this particular inspector might need some education herself. Car seat check-stops should be occur to correct mistakes and, if need be, fine flagrant violations.

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I'm so sorry you found her to be rude. That's not at all what we want to hear. I know when I do checks I make an enormous effort to be kind to both the parents/caregivers and especially to the children. I'm careful to explain things in simple terms, I listen carefully to what the parent is saying, and try to offer advice in a very non-confrontational way. That said, I have witnessed instances where other techs aren't so kind, and I know it's a downhill slide as soon as the parents becomes offended/confused/defensive, etc. In my experience there are techs that are book smart but not people friendly, there are techs that are people friendly but lacking in some knowledge, and then there are the few that mix a little of both and somehow manage to keep the experience pleasant and educational for both the parents and the kids. I'm sort of rambling here, but I mostly just want you to know that we're not all bad. I'd say the upper majority of us here are very pleasent to deal with, very well educated, and out in the trenches -- roadside in -25 temps -- wanting to help as many kids and parents as possible. Please stick around here if you'd like. We love newbies.

AB Parent said:

I am in favour of car seat check-stops, but I feel that in my relatively minor infraction, there should have been more emphasis on information and less so on ticketing. There is a time and place for both, but considering the apparent lack of knowledge among the majority (in my experience from talking to others) .....Car seat check-stops should be occur to correct mistakes and, if need be, fine flagrant violations.

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:thumbsup: I mostly agree with that. Road side checks should be to inform parents and ticket for gross misuse. Most parents just do not know the information that we (on this board) know.

However, the other side of that is that it is a PARENT'S responsibility to inform themself and do their research to ensure their child is safe. None of us here were forced to do our research, we did it because we wanted to ensure our kids were as safe as possible. Just the same as we do our research about breastfeeding vs. formula feeding, sleeping babies on their back, childproofing our homes, when to start solid foods, etc., etc. It bothers me a bit when parents use ignorance as an excuse.

Sure, for minor things like a chest clip being a little low, I think just a correction and the information is appropriate. But for using a 10 year old seat, or putting their 2 year old in a booster, I don't buy the "oh really, I didn't know" excuse. If you cared enough you would know, because you'd find out of your own volition without having to get a ticket. And many many parents are like that (unfortunately), which is why these checks are being done in the first place. So for the good of the innocent children whose parents choose not to inform themselves, this is the way it has to be done.

:soapbox:

(I'm not excusing this person's rudeness to you though. THAT is not cool.) :thumbsdown:

Interesting. I have never come across a check on the road. The only ones I have been to the ones I voluntarily go to . I am in BC.

I understand the ticketing for expired seats for sure. I don't really agree with the cash grab tickets when parents have their seats installed incorrectly or the childs harness isn't quite tight enough. They should be pulled aside and shown how do it properly (not all parents are as (I use this term loosely for lack of a better wording) "anal" as I know I am). The course is a great option. Just a ticket doesn't solve the problem. Instead of a ticket they should be given a date and time to arrive at a car seat check and have the technician test their install of the seat and child which would show how much was retained from when they were shown when they were originally pulled over.

I love the idea but wish it was more about the child safety that the $$$.

I'm cross posting from the installation forum...I'm new and still wandering around a bit.!

I'm in Calgary and need to get my infant seat inspected as I cannot get it installed properly...my original post :

I am in Calgary and have a message into someone at St John's ambulance to inspect my carseats - is it one of you here on this forum?

We are finding with our second child that we can not get the infant carseat base to stay flat while installed in the rear seat of our 1996 toyota 4 runner. we are using the locking buckle but the shoulder strap doesn't seem to lock so the base tends to tilt.....

why are these things so finicky?

my other issue is my son. He's 3 years old, 40 inches tall and almost 40 lbs (need to weigh and measure again). he's in the eddie bauer convertable carseat while in our car and the straps are too short now. Can we use it as a booster seat now? Our second car seat has a very awkward buckle (the even flo) but is rated for heavier and taller...

our daughter will likely outgrow her infant seat soon - what is reasonably priced and good for the backseat of a toyota matrix???

thanks in advance

Jen

I'm sorry you had a rude tech as well.

The winter coat thread linked to earlier was created by me and I live in Calgary (grew up in SK, so I know cold). It does work quite well once you've done it a few times and keeps the kids safe and warm at the same time.

If you are looking to have your seats inspected (with the whole nine yards of checking for recalls, getting extra info, etc.), then you can contact The Co-operators in Airdrie. We run 4 - 5 seat check clinics per year... called the Buckle Up Bears program.

Jen in Calgary... I responded to your other thread.

ETA: OP you may also find the option 4 class to be frustrating as well. It's typically very basic info and not much extra is given. In my experience, the instructors for this class don't keep quite as up to date as we do here.

momto2princes said:

I love the idea but wish it was more about the child safety that the $$$.

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The goal of the checks is 100% about child safety. Voluntary checks don't work - the parents with the worst misuse don't come to them. The goal by ticketing them is that they'll choose to come to the course instead of pay, thereby getting more education. A lot of times we're talking about unrestrained kids, seats with harnesses so loose kids can climb out without them being undone, carseats that aren't actually installed.

Interestingly enough, despite almost everyone being offered the education class, only about 30% of the parents take it. That means the other 70% would rather pay a ticket than learn how to properly restrain their kids. Given that statistic, (it's a Red Deer statistic, so admittedly I don't know if it's the same turn out here or not,) it becomes pretty obvious that some parents simply can't be bothered enough. Especially in communities where there is a high percent of the population that has had long term exposure/lived in a country where there are no restraints whatsoever, the value of a child restraint just isn't seen.

So I agree with ticketing whenever appropriate. I do know though from conversations I've had here in the city that they're not out to catch every single itty teeny bitty mistake. They're looking to ticket and catch the big misuses. The goal with ticketing around here and I think it's safe to say in all of the province, is to ultimately save lives. And sometimes money speaks louder than anything... if people tighten the harness properly and bother to attach the tether strap just to avoid getting a ticket, it's still keeping their kids safer. :twocents:

snowbird25ca said:

The goal of the checks is 100% about child safety. Voluntary checks don't work - the parents with the worst misuse don't come to them. The goal by ticketing them is that they'll choose to come to the course instead of pay, thereby getting more education. A lot of times we're talking about unrestrained kids, seats with harnesses so loose kids can climb out without them being undone, carseats that aren't actually installed.

Interestingly enough, despite almost everyone being offered the education class, only about 30% of the parents take it. That means the other 70% would rather pay a ticket than learn how to properly restrain their kids. Given that statistic, (it's a Red Deer statistic, so admittedly I don't know if it's the same turn out here or not,) it becomes pretty obvious that some parents simply can't be bothered enough. Especially in communities where there is a high percent of the population that has had long term exposure/lived in a country where there are no restraints whatsoever, the value of a child restraint just isn't seen.

So I agree with ticketing whenever appropriate. I do know though from conversations I've had here in the city that they're not out to catch every single itty teeny bitty mistake. They're looking to ticket and catch the big misuses. The goal with ticketing around here and I think it's safe to say in all of the province, is to ultimately save lives. And sometimes money speaks louder than anything... if people tighten the harness properly and bother to attach the tether strap just to avoid getting a ticket, it's still keeping their kids safer. :twocents:

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I guess that is sad but true. It boggles my mind how it isn't important to every other parent like it is to me.

Thanks all for you posts on the roadside check. When I read AB Parent's first post, certain things didn't seem right, hence I asked my questions.

Roadside check can be effective but I often find when police officers are closely involved, the mindset can turn to 'enforcement' rather than 'education'. Don't get me wrong. I know there are cases that need an officer and a ticket to get the message across. But if not handle with care, roadside check would be perceived as another 'cash cow' rather than what it truely is -- children's safety and what it needs to be -- educating parents so they themselves can ensure road safety for their children.

Thanks again. It has been an enlightening thread.