‘A little learning is a dangerous thing . . .’
A. Pope
New federal car seat regulations came into effect throughout Canada on January 1st 2012. Car seats are obviously important, and indeed their proper installation and use is critical to the proper functioning for these most important of all child safety devices. For that reason, car seat rules and installations have been examined in this space previously, and child safety seats will no doubt come up again. In this case, however, parents of car seat-aged children in the Toronto area may not need to do anything different at all.
While news outlets covered the story of the changes to federal regulations, they by and large bothered only with the most fear-inducing elements of the story; hence the opening quote above. Do not panic. If your car seat was fine on New Year’s Eve, the changes do not affect you. That’s right; for most early childhood parents in the GTA, you should do nothing . . . almost. This is as good a time as any to check the child safety seat you are using and make sure that nothing has shifted, come loose or worn. Winter clothes and changing weather force parents to make on-the-fly strap adjustments, so seasonal checks are wise. The majority of car seats are incorrectly installed or used.
The next car seat you buy will meet the new federal regulations, but the rules of the road are still the same. In other words your current car seat is still legal, rear-facing or forward-facing. Some already did meet the new federal standard, but now they all do. Child safety seats are one of the few items which should really not be bought used anyway, so the impact all around is minimal. Any of the many decent retailers selling car seats, boosters, and combo’s around Toronto can answer questions, and there are inspection clinics offering help with installation and maintenance run by Police Services. Baby Car Seat Experts claim to have inspection clinics as well, but they are occasional so check the website.
The bottom line where child safety seats are concerned is that the rules are still the same, but manufacturers have to make them to accommodate larger children now, as research indicates more time spent at each stage increases child safety. You want to buy each car seat new anyway, even if you get everything else second-hand, and most importantly of all, you must make sure that whichever one you use is properly installed. That means doing it properly, or paying for a professional installation, and it also means checking it over. If you are unsure, use your resources and find some help.
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