Is It Illegal to Use Expired Car Seats in Canada
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Misspiggy
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expired car seat
3/23/2015 at 2:57 PM
Just wondering if anyone can tell me what to do with an expired car seat? Is there some where to drop it off or can it be thrown in garbage feels like such a waste to throw out cuZ it was just a spare and in good condition
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 213
Dispose
3/23/2015 at 3:10 PM
Expired car seats, even in good condition, can't be used. You can put it in your regular garbage if you have large item pickup (helps to put a note on it that it's expired in case anyone is dumpster diving). I've also brought car seats into an MPI office to be disposed of.
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 28
Garbage
3/23/2015 at 3:32 PM
Toss it in the garbage. Car seats have an expiry date because they have been proven more likely to fail in a collision due to the fact that individual parts may not contain the same strength they did when they were manufactured (a.k.a. the parts just aren't good any more). Even if it looks good, it's gotta go. Also may be serious ramifications with MPI or any life insurance companies if a child is injured or heaven forbid, killed in an expired car seat.
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Misspiggy
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12356
3/23/2015 at 3:39 PM
Thanks all
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Joined: Oct 2012
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I thought you had to "wreck" it before tossing in the trash too, like cut off the harness. So no one uses it, and like the other poster says, no one gets hurt.
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RMom
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8Yes you should cut/remove the straps so someone doesn't pull it out of the garbage and use it. In the past I have pulled the fabric and foam off as well as cutting the harness.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1089
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3/23/2015 at 6:08 PM
Yes exactly what others have said. Cut the straps, cut up the cover, put them in the garbage on separate days.
So glad to finally hear of more people who don't think the expiry date is no big deal.
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 681
CFS
3/23/2015 at 10:42 PM
Will take expired car seats as extras.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1089
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3/23/2015 at 10:57 PM
CFS shouldn't take them to use. I don't even think it is legal to use an expired car seat.
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swmb
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Holy
3/23/2015 at 11:13 PM
luvmykids said "CFS shouldn't take them to use. I don't even think it is legal to use an expired car seat. "
are you the expired car seat police?
It works fine on March 22 but on March 23 it's not even good enough to use in emergencies?
Put me in the camp that doesn't thing a slightly outdated or an outdated carseat that is very rarely used is the end of the world.
I think an expired one would be better than nothing.
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 72
It's worth it to buy a new one
3/24/2015 at 8:55 AM
I personal would die if something happened to my kid that there was even a sliver of a chance I could have done something to prevent it. So I would have a new seat ready. Also with my kid he has outgrown his before they expire anyway.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9145
swmb said "
luvmykids said "CFS shouldn't take them to use. I don't even think it is legal to use an expired car seat. "
are you the expired car seat police?It works fine on March 22 but on March 23 it's not even good enough to use in emergencies?
Put me in the camp that doesn't thing a slightly outdated or an outdated carseat that is very rarely used is the end of the world.
I think an expired one would be better than nothing. "
since CFS is a government agency that takes away kids if the parents do something illegal i do think they should be following the law
but if people are desperate to dumpster dive for a car seat i think id rather them used a barley expired good conditioned car seat then nothing or one 20 years old
within a few days months is maybe no big deal really but where is the line? they figured out the average life expectancy of the plastic and other parts and put it there for that reason and thus marked it with a date, im sure like everything else it is well before the fail rate but it is still a calculated date we should follow the date and a government agency should absolutely be, who do we phone to find out if that is even true and if it is to get them to stop it?
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....
3/24/2015 at 1:24 PM
swmb said "
luvmykids said "CFS shouldn't take them to use. I don't even think it is legal to use an expired car seat. "
are you the expired car seat police?It works fine on March 22 but on March 23 it's not even good enough to use in emergencies?
Put me in the camp that doesn't thing a slightly outdated or an outdated carseat that is very rarely used is the end of the world.
I think an expired one would be better than nothing. "
Taken from the Government's website:
People should not use children's car seats and booster seats past their expiry or useful life date. Beyond this date, the car seat should be permanently discarded rather than donated to a charitable organization, second hand store, or given to friends or relatives. It is also important to note that if you own a car seat or booster seat made before January 1, 2012, under Health Canada's Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, you may not be able to advertise, sell, or give it away because it may not meet the latest requirements set out by Health Canada. For further information regarding the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, please contact Health Canada:
Also how do you track what is acceptable then for past the expiry date? Who would check to see if the seat was past expiry? The price of a new car seat.....is it worth a child's life? If something failed during an accident and the child was injured could you live with yourself on the notion of saving a little bit of money?
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sammy
Joined: Sep 2010
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I have 3 car seats that I use for daycare purposes very occasionally. I'm hoping they all expire at different times so that I'm not having to replace all at the same time!! It will be a lot of money over the years though as I have to always replace them when they expire. They are rarely used and in brand new shape....I'll be sad to just throw them out!! Lol. I didn't know they had to be cut up though so thanks for that tip!
If anyone knows for sure if CFS takes them, please post! I'd hate to just cut mine up...they're so clean and new looking
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swmb
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It isn't against the law to use
3/24/2015 at 2:18 PM
expired car seats, Canada doesn't even require manufacturers to put expiry dates on them.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-notices-2011c01-1168.htm
It is illegal to advertise, sell or give away car seats made before 2012, but not illegal to use them if you already have them.
I have 2 new non expired car seats and an old expired one that gets used rarely, I also live in the country so not much traffic. And the kid is no infant, these are the big car seats for a big toddler.
Crucify me if you want for using an expired car seat every once in a while, but I am breaking no law.
I will take criticism from anyone who has never gone 1 km over the speed limit, or never failed to stop completely for 3 full seconds at a stop sign. These things are illegal.
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1510
not CFS
3/24/2015 at 2:26 PM
CFS has a lady trained in car seats. She will tell you to cut off the straps and dispose of the expired car seats!
Edited by sharon kucher, 2015-03-24 14:27:32
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 28
Some more info
3/24/2015 at 3:24 PM
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-faq-1131.htm
This is also from transport Canada. It was last modified on March 17th, 2015, more up to date than the 2011 article. It specifically says that if you use past the expiry date, you may be found guilty of breaking the law. Not here to criticise any one, rather give information.
"Although expiry dates, or useful life dates, are not required by regulation, all manufacturers of children's restraint systems provide them. Manufacturers indicate (stamp) 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 cushion becomes hard to check (was it in a collision, was it stored in a place or in a way that caused damage to parts, etc.?);
•safety regulations and standards may have changed, so improved products may now be on the market; and
•second or subsequent owners may not get product safety recall notices if problems arise.""The provincial and territorial laws state that children's car seats and booster seats (if applicable) 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. People should not use children's car seats and booster cushions past their expiry or useful life date."
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Edited by Audsmomma, 2015-03-24 15:55:04
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Article
3/24/2015 at 3:55 PM
swmb said "expired car seats, Canada doesn't even require manufacturers to put expiry dates on them.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-notices-2011c01-1168.htm
It is illegal to advertise, sell or give away car seats made before 2012, but not illegal to use them if you already have them.
I have 2 new non expired car seats and an old expired one that gets used rarely, I also live in the country so not much traffic. And the kid is no infant, these are the big car seats for a big toddler.
Crucify me if you want for using an expired car seat every once in a while, but I am breaking no law.
I will take criticism from anyone who has never gone 1 km over the speed limit, or never failed to stop completely for 3 full seconds at a stop sign. These things are illegal. "
This article states "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."
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swmb said "expired car seats, Canada doesn't even require manufacturers to put expiry dates on them.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-notices-2011c01-1168.htm
It is illegal to advertise, sell or give away car seats made before 2012, but not illegal to use them if you already have them.
I have 2 new non expired car seats and an old expired one that gets used rarely, I also live in the country so not much traffic. And the kid is no infant, these are the big car seats for a big toddler.
Crucify me if you want for using an expired car seat every once in a while, but I am breaking no law.
I will take criticism from anyone who has never gone 1 km over the speed limit, or never failed to stop completely for 3 full seconds at a stop sign. These things are illegal. "
Not stopping for 3 seconds...I find nowhere where it is illegal. All you need to do is a complete stop. 1km over. Meh...you don't know if the gauge is fully correct hence why nobody gets stopped for 1,2,3 km over.
Now ask a roofer if they would use an expired safety harness. Would you be an employer telling your workers who cares if their safety net is out of date....they are only on the roof for a brief time?
Would you complain if you found out a restaurant was using expired foods on the meal they served you? Or is it not a big deal?
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swmb
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Guilty of breaking which law?
3/24/2015 at 5:07 PM
You can't just be charged with breaking the law it has to be a specific law.
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swmb
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Fishing guy
3/24/2015 at 5:22 PM
Most roofers I know wouldn't wear harness most of the time if it wasn't for the fines so doubt they would care and I bet we've all eaten expired food at a restaurant before, if I don get sick I'm not complaining.
On speeding have you ever knowingly went over the speed limit by day 5 or 10 clicks with your children in the car? Or failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign?
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 28
Contact TC
3/24/2015 at 7:11 PM
swmb said "You can't just be charged with breaking the law it has to be a specific law. "
You are correct, it does not specific which law, however my thought is it might fall under child endangerment some where as they state "you may be putting your child at risk". My suggestion would be to contact Transport Canada directly in order to find out which law it pertains to. If they make the statement on their website, they will need to back it up with proof somehow. Again, if they are making this claim, my thoughts would be that they are correct as they are Transport Canada.
My thoughts are, why risk it? It's only $200 or less for a new car seat. That far out weighs the cost of losing my child. I trust those car seat manufactures and the crash testing that is done, and if they say that it is not safe to use a car seat past its expiry date or past the number of years proven safe after manufacturing, then I don't. Those companies are paid thousands of dollars every day to help keep kids safe. They are the experts and therefore I chose to acknowledge and respect them.
Edited by Audsmomma, 2015-03-24 19:19:38
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Posts: 4898
Legality
3/24/2015 at 7:24 PM
As for the legal part of this, there sure is a lot of use of the word "may" and "might".
If food gets spilled in a brand new seat it may affect the latching device regardless of expiry date, and new seats may be better, and might protect better. Exposure to sun or even exposure to extremes in temperature may shorten the life of the seat. I don't think I've read such an open ended ramble in my life.
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swmb
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Manufacturers also sell these seats for profit
3/24/2015 at 7:54 PM
And they wouldn't sell many if old ones didn't expire. Not saying this is the reason by itself but it's worth considering as a possible factor.
I also stated I have 2 new ones for regular use but I choose to keep an old one to stick in a farm truck or for grandparents in a pinch.
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Joined: Jun 2007
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i too noticed the "may" "you may be putting your child's safety at risk and you may be found guilty of breaking the law." and that i assume means that the statement does not need to be backed up but also worded like that because different provinces have different laws
i believe that a bit expired isnt as big of a deal as decades expired and, since the changes in 2012 were not enough to warrant every car seat built before be removed then i think it would also be better to use those seats then nothing but honestly if you have a seat that is expired no need to pass it on, even if it is a minimal risk, car seats are affordable so just buy one
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Old plastic
3/24/2015 at 9:25 PM
Any one who has been around for a while should realize what does happen to plastic over time, different plastics take different amounts of time but they all seem to self destruct when exposed to the elements. What I don't understand is why when something is as important as our children, they would not of used a better type of plastic, guess it's the throw away world we live in.
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its been a while since i have had a car seat, i wonder how long from manufacturing to expiry? is it reasonable for plastics?
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swmb
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car seats expire in 6 to 9 years
3/24/2015 at 10:35 PM
depending on the seat.
And I can't find anything saying that using expired car seats is illegal in any province, territory or jurisdiction at all in Canada. I guess the threat is that you "may be charged with breaking the law."
If I'm ever stopped by the police with an expired car seat I will be sure to let them know because I am sure they would never check. I am betting there will be no charge. If there is I'll find out what "maybe being charged with breaking the law" is.
Edited by swmb, 2015-03-24 22:43:57
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swmb
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Was wrong
3/24/2015 at 11:49 PM
it is illegal and you get a fine in Ontario.
Is It Illegal to Use Expired Car Seats in Canada
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