In 1999, ICBC worked with international experts and consumers to develop a system to rate the ease of use of child seats. Based on this work, ICBC published ratings for all child seats sold in BC to help parents and caregivers select seats that are easier to use.
The ICBC rating system has now been adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States with some minor modifications. To make child seat selection simpler, we have decided to link directly to the NHTSA ratings and not duplicate the work. The majority of child seats sold in Canada are manufactured in the United States and they are usually based on the same design but with a different name. The link below provides a list of child seats with their Canadian names for you to link directly to the NHTSA ease of use rating site.
To go directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, click here.
Although the child seats sold in the US and Canada are similar, remember only products that meet Canadian standards (CMVSS) are legal in B.C. Simply look for the National Safety Mark (below) which must be shown on all safety child seats (including boosters) sold in Canada.
There may also be some important differences in products sold in Canada for improved safety.
For best protection, it is essential that all child seats be used according to the Canadian instructions and labels.
