No. H077/13
For release - June 19, 2013
OTTAWA — The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, today announced changes to safety regulations for built-in child seats that will allow the seats to be designed and tested for use by larger children. These regulations will allow children to continue to use child restraints for a longer period of time, before graduating to booster seats and eventually, to the vehicle’s seat belts.
These regulatory changes are consistent with the commitments of the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council announced by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama in February 2011.
“By aligning the Canadian testing requirements with those of the United States, our government is reducing red tape which can ultimately reduce costs and increase choice for consumers,” said Minister Lebel.
Under the new requirements, a forward-facing built-in child seat can be designed for use by a child from 10 to 41 kg. Manufacturers determine the weight and height range to which they certify their built-in child seats and must test their seats accordingly. They must also indicate the weight and height limits on each seat model and in the owner’s manual.
This amendment aligns the requirements for built-in child restraints with those that recently came into effect for removable child restraints that are commonly sold in stores. This amendment also advances safety by requiring the use of advanced test dummies and updated testing performance criteria.
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Contacts:
Marie-Josée Paquette
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities,
Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Ottawa
613-991-0700
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
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