The Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CEPAS) is warning parents of an “alarming” trend as many imported child car seats fail to meet Canadian safety standards.
In addition, 1,000 children are injured or killed in accidents in Quebec every year.
This is indicated by a figure from the Société de l’assurance Automobile du Québec (SAAQ), which also shows that one in two children is not properly seated in their seat and is therefore not safe there. Also according to the SAAQ, a properly installed seat reduces the chances of death and serious injury by up to 70%.
However, perhaps in a context of inflation, some Canadians choose to order counterfeit car seats that do not meet the country’s standards.
However, it is illegal in Canada to import, sell or use child car seats that do not carry the national safety mark.
Indeed, “under the authority of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Transport Canada enforces regulations that govern the safety performance of child car seats,” says the Canada of Canada government website.
However, two members of the ASEPC tried the experiment to confirm the feasibility of the process themselves, and were successful in obtaining seats that did not meet Canadian standards.
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“At Health Canada, we are asking them to completely shut down these illegal sites to avoid purchasing fraudulent products, whether car seats or others,” he explains in an interview with TVA Nouvelles. Vanessa Demers, ASEPC Board Member.
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“At the level of Transport Canada, we ask them to issue a new opinion on the fake seats […], We really ask them to speak up, step forward and report counterfeit products to protect all Canadian children.”
Transport Canada issued an advisory last November, but according to the ASEPC, it is insufficient.
When buying a seat, several things are important, according to certified child car seat technician Emmanuel Robideau.
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To ensure maximum safety it is necessary to take into account not only the size of the child, but also the size of the car.
“What is also important is to buy in a specialty store because our car benches sold in Canada must have what is called a CMVSS, which is an acronym that will certify that it is a bench that has been used in Canada.” Can go,” she says.
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