According to CBC news, many parents are putting their children at risk by purchasing cheaper and possibly inferior child carseats from foreign countries. David Duanne, director of provincial programs of B.C. Automobile Association Traffic Safety Foundation warns that parents “are looking for the best deals, and without knowing the facts, are buying child safety seats from south of the border, the U.K. and other countries”. Duanne explains that car seats purchased from outside Canada do not meet Canadian safety standards and are therefore illegal to use in Canada. Seats approved for use in Canada must meet the Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Cushions Safety Regulations and appropriate Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. All Canadian approved car seats carry a Canadian maple leaf seal of approval that is prominently displayed on all child restraints and booster seats. Parents who fail to comply with the regulations may have non-approved car seats seized at the border or receive a $109 fine if found using the seat while driving.
Parent’s visiting from foreign countries are also advised to leave their foreign-purchased carseats at home and consider either purchasing or renting them during their vacation in Canada. Petite Passengers Baby Equipment Rentals provides an assortment of Canadian approved car seats in Vancouver, and can deliver them to your hotel or residence prior to your arrival. For added convenience, Petite Passengers also offers an airport pick up and delivery service which includes the use of age-specific child carseats and boosters.Petite Passengers is passionate about quality and only supplies high-end car and booster seats (such as Britax and Graco), all of which have been purchased brand new in 2007. Petite Passengers Baby Equipment Rentals – Quality, Convenience and Excellence…Visit us online at http://www.petitepassengers.com/new-car-seat-regulations-baby-equipment-rentals-vancouver-whistler-lower-mainland-british-columbia.html
Illegal car seats put children at risk, says safety group September 17, 2007
Petite Passengers’ Tips on Traveling with Children August 28, 2007
When traveling with kids, it is important not only to plan, but to plan with common sense. Start a travel list well in advance of your trip and add to it over the days or weeks leading up to your departure day. Remember, a trip is supposed to be fun: so be prepared, be creative, and above all, have a sense of humour! A positive and flexible attitude will go a long way. Here are some other tips to help reduce the stress of travelling…
Pre-departure
• Consider renting essential larger items such as stroller, cribs, high chairs and car seats as they only take up valuable space
• When packing your children’s bags, try to stick to the list and not pack unnecessary items. You will more than likely come home with extra items anyway, so try to pack lightly
• Before you head to the airport, why not check-in from home? Most airlines will allow you to select seats and pre-order kid’s meals on line. That way you can simply drop and tag your bags at the airport
• If your airline allows, remember to pre-book the baby basinets in the bulk head-seats (some airlines will only allocate these at the airport on a first come, first served basis)
• For long drives, plan your stops and keep your kids busy – pack favourite security toys, favourite CDs, books and games.
At the airport
• Allow lots of extra time – remember Murphy’s law…
• Ask your partner or a friend to speak to the check-in desk about queue jumping. Most airlines are child-friendly in this regard.
• Always ask if the plane is full – ask if it is possible to hold a spare seat next to you
• Accept any assistance that airline staff offer (helping with children, allow families to be first on the plane and last off)
• Ask for fast track customs and immigration
New Aviation Regulations
The International Civil Aviation Organization has recently increased restrictions on liquid items in hand luggage. Travellers are no longer able to carry more that 100mls of liquids, gels, pastes, lotions or creams. All items under 100mls must be placed in a clear sealable plastic bag and all items must not exceed 1 litre. Many airlines have also reduced the allowed weight of checked luggage, so contact you airline for specifics.
New Aviations Regulations and Babies
• Baby formula is allowed onboard in carry-on luggage, but will be inspected
• Airlines will also allow diaper/nappy rash cream, but only in the appropriate quantities – it may be a good idea to transfer an appropriate amount into a small container (100mls or less)
Infant Specific Tips
• Rather than lug a stroller through the airport, think about carrying your young child in a sling or front pack
• Airline are becoming increasingly stricter about strollers onboard but may still allow small travel strollers – check with your airline for specifics
• On the plane, keep your diaper/nappy change bag close-by so that it is easily accessible. And to keep your neighbours on friendly terms by packing perfumed diaper/nappy plastic bags for dirty diapers/nappies and wet clothing
• Ask flight attendants where the best place to change your baby is – some stalls have larger change areas than others
• Try to feed when taking off and landing so as to avoid ear problems. If the timing doesn’t work, carry a pacifier (or two)
• Pack your regular baby food in a sealed air-tight jar and have the flight attendant heat it up well in advance of when you need it. Remember: there are no microwaves onboard, so attendants will need to heat it the old fashioned way in hot water.
• Pack wet-wipes – they are a God-sent!
Toddlers Specific Tips
• Toddlers like to be mobile, so it’s a good idea to use a child harness or leash at the airport or car rental desk
• Before you leave, consider buying or renting a Gogo Kids Travel Mate – a new product that attaches to most car seats and can be wheeled (baby and all) around the airport.
• Kids love surprises – have your child bring a couple of favourite toys and then surprise them with a wrapped gift or two (a wrapped gift adds to the entertainment and excitement of travelling)
• Fun, easy-to-carry travel gifts include story books, play doh, colouring books, paper and crayons, small cars, dolls, play figurines, sticker books, cards and travel board games.
• Don’t unveil all your tricks at once – have a one toy at a time policy.
• Portable DVD players are a God-sent (bring their favourite DVDs and allow for more-than-usual viewing time)
• Pack a discman/ipod with their favourite songs
• Potty training – If you are flying with a child who is in the process of potty training, it’s a good idea for them to wear diapers for the journey. You should explain that there are often bathroom line-ups and that the captain may turn on the seat-belt sign at a time that your little one needs to go
• Be prepared for ear equalization problems – bring gum or sweets for kids to chew
• Have your child feel that they are contributing by carry their own backpack in the airport and to the car
• For long haul flights, consider sedatives or relaxants – but check with your doctor first. You will definitely want to experiment with quantities prior to the trip as each child can react differently. (A close friend of mine with a 2 year old experimented with quantities before their trip to Bali, and happy with the result, decided to use the relaxant on the plane. She gave her son a little extra than before – just to make sure – which unfortunately had a reverse effect and caused him to become hyperactive. Even worse, she had already taken a relaxant herself and spent the entire journey trying to stay awake in order to chase her child around).
• Seat kicking – number two on the list of top five pet-peeves by travellers. It’s not realistic to expect perfectly well behaved children all the time, but you can ease other passengers’ discomforts by not allowing you kids to kick the back of aeroplane chairs.
Remember: Laugh at your situation, focus on your destination and don’t sweat the small stuff!
Petite Passengers Baby Equipment Rentals
Vancouver, BC
www.petitepassengers.com
Renting a car seat in Vancouver – Petite Passengers August 23, 2007
Gone are the days of carrying your child on your lap in the back of the car, or even renting a carseat from car rental companies for that matter. Most car rentals companies in Vancouver will no longer supply car seats for infants or small children as they often do not meet the strict Canadian car seat regulations. Renting carseats from car rental companies was dicey at the best of times as they were often old, smelly and coloured with unidentifiable stains. Now however, it is more than just an issue of unpleasing aesthetics, as renting a car seat in Vancouver is a matter of safety. Did you know that effective July 1st 2008, British Columbia’s government will amend child restraint laws. Are you aware of the changes?
New British Columbia Car Seat Regulations
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children in B.C. An average of 860 children aged 5-9 years are seriously injured every year, and 5 are killed; yet only 18% of children in B.C use booster seats. Recent statistics show that booster seats reduce the risk of child fatality by 71% and the risk of serious injury by 67%. As a way to curb these figures and protect children more comprehensively, the B.C government will amend the 22-year-old law by implementing the following regulations on July 1st 2008.
The new regulations will require that:
Infants seats (rear facing) must be used until a child is at least 1 year old and 20lbs
Child seats (forward facing) will be mandatory for children over 1 year old and between 20-40lbs.
Booster seats will be mandatory for all children who weigh 40lbs+ until they are 4’9” or 9 years old.
Failure to comply with the law will result in a $109 traffic violation.
In compliance with new Motor Vehicle Act regulations, Petite Passengers Baby Equipment Rentals is happy to supply clients with government-approved booster seats, car seats and infant car seats. Please visit us at: www.petitepassengers.com
For further reading on the topic please view the following website:
http://www.icbc.com/inside_icbc/may2007govnews.asp
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