Are you visiting British Columbia with kids? Do you have family visiting and plan to have kids in your car?
If you drive with a child in your vehicle, it is important to be familiar with the federal and provincial car seat requirements to reduce the likelihood of a child being injured in a crash. British Columbia has guidelines up to age 9, which is important if you are travelling within the province.
First, all child car seats and booster seats sold in Canada must be designed and manufactured to follow regulations under Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Car seats used in Canada should have the National Safety Mark label attached to the restraint system or booster seat, indicating that the seat complies with Canadian regulations and standards, and is therefore legal for use in Canada:
National Safety Mark
As children grow, their car seat position will change from rear facing to forward facing. When they are too big for a car seat, they will use a booster seat until they are big enough to use just a seatbelt.
Rear Facing
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (“ICBC”) provides car seat regulations for child restraint devices used in British Columbia.
A rear-facing infant/child seat is used from birth until at least one year old and 9 kg (20 lbs). The safest place in the car is the middle of the back seat.
A rear-facing child seat may be used up to the manufacturer’s weight limit (often 18kg or 40 lbs). A rear-facing seat is safer than a forward-facing seat.
Forward Facing
A forward-facing child seat may be used when the child is over one year old, over 9 kg (20 lbs) and strong enough to walk on their own. Follow the manufacturer’s installation labels affixed to the seat and always use the top tether strap to secure the seat. Taller children may fit a combination five-point harness/ booster seat better.
A “convertible” car seat can be positioned both toward the rear of the vehicle and toward the front of the vehicle, which allows for longer use as children grow.
Booster Seats
Booster seats ensure proper seatbelt fit for use with a lap/shoulder seatbelt. Adult seat belts ride too high on children’s tummies and necks, which can cause serious injuries in a crash. Booster seats raise the child to correctly position the adult seatbelt across the bony structures of the chest and pelvis. They may be used when a child is at least four years old and over 18 kg (40 lbs). They are required in British Columbia until the child is at least nine years old or 145 cm (4’9″), whichever comes first.
Position lap belt low over hip bones and shoulder belt over shoulder and in front of chest. Having a back on the booster seat helps position the seatbelt over smaller children. Do not use a booster seat with only a lap belt.
If using car seats or booster seats that have been in the family for some time, or that have been rented or purchased second hand, be aware that manufacturers provide an expiry date for each seat. The useful life of most seats ranges between six and ten years because frequent use and exposure to sunlight can damage and weaken plastic. The seats must be discarded after the expiry date set by the manufacturers. Also, if the seats have been in a vehicle during a collision, they should be replaced to ensure the safety of the children using them.
Seatbelts
When a child is at least nine years old or 145 cm (4’9”), they may use just a seatbelt; however, many children may need to continue using a booster seat after age nine. The seatbelt should fit low enough to secure over the child’s hips and not over the stomach. If the seatbelt fits better with the booster seat, the booster seat may be used until the child reaches the manufacturer’s weight limit, which may be up to 50 kg (110 pounds).
It is recommended that children sit in the back seat until 12 years of age, especially in vehicles equipped with front passenger airbags.
Despite the cold Canadian winters, children should not wear thick puffy jackets inside of their car seat straps or seatbelts since the jackets can compress during a collision and cause the straps to be too loose to hold the child securely.
For more information, see ICBC’s website: http://www.icbc.com/brochures/Pages/child-car-seats.aspx
Travelling with Car Seats
Some favourite car seats for travelling include the Diono Radian 3R, 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat, which can be used as rear-facing, forward-facing, and as a high-back booster seat. The narrow back allows three seats across the back seat of many vehicles. With its versatility, slim size, and 10-year expiry, the Diono Radian 3R is a great option for frequent visits with kids of all ages.
Two affordable light-weight options to take when travelling by airplane are the Cosco Scenera Convertible Seat for children 2.3-18 kg (5-40 lbs) and the Evenflo Booster Car Seat. The Cosco Scenera Convertible Seat weighs just 4.1kg (9 lbs) and can be used either rear-facing or forward-facing. The Evenflo Booster Car Seat weighs just 4.5 kg (9.5 lbs). Evenflo recommends this seat as forward-facing with the five-point harness in a vehicle for use by a child who is over two years old and over 10 kg (22 lbs). This car seat can also be used with the five-point harness on an airplane seat for a child weighing between 10 kg (22 lbs) and 18 kg (40 lbs). The seat can then be used in a vehicle as a booster seat with a seat belt for a child who is over four years old and over 18 kg (40 lbs).
Another favourite seat for the frequent traveller is the light-weight compact backless Cosco Booster Seat. It weighs just 1 kg (2 lbs) and is small enough to put in a suitcase or a flexible carryon bag! Since the booster seat does not clip into the car frame, it is easy to move in and out of the car when you are on the go. Age four is the minimum age for a backless booster seat. The Cosco Booster Seat can be used until the child reaches 45 kg (100 lbs), which is older than age nine. Children need to be able to sit up properly to ensure the seatbelt fits low over the hip bones, over the shoulder and in front of the chest.
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