Call St John Ambulance for an appointment
The first of each month
905-434-7800
|
|---|
HOW LONG ARE CHILD CAR SEATS SAFE
Manufacturers give an expiry or useful life date because over time:
•Frequent use and exposure to sunlight can damage and weaken plastic;
•Safe-use labels on the products fade or become hard to read;
•Instruction manuals have likely been lost;
•Food, cleaners, drinks and other materials that have been spilled or used on webbing, buckles, adjusters and other parts may prevent them from working safely;
•The history or condition of the car seat or booster seat becomes hard to check (was it in a crash, was it stored in a place or in a way that caused damage to parts, etc.?);
•Safety regulations and standards may have changed, so safer products may now be on the market; and
•Second or subsequent owners may not get product safety recall notices if problems arise.
In Canada, all provinces and territories require infants and toddlers to be buckled up in the appropriate car seat. Several provinces also require booster seats for children who have outgrown a child car seat but are too small for a regular seat belt. The provincial and territorial laws also say that the children's car seats and booster seats must be certified to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and must be used according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you don't follow the instructions or if you use them past their expiry or useful life dates - you may be putting your child’s safety at risk and you may be found guilty of breaking the law.
--------------------------------------------------
Please see Transport Canada for car seat recalls.