For Canadian residents: Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) do not address vests and harnesses for children being transported in motor vehicles. Since there are no prescribed protocols for testing, there is no opportunity for the manufacturer to seek the National Safety Mark (NSM).
CMVSS 213.3 (501-523) does, however, address custom restraint systems for children with special needs. (Information provided by Transport Canada and seen on their website under the “Special Needs” heading of the Safety Standards.)
It is with due diligence that we are informing you that Transport Canada (TC) permits the sale of our vests to Canadians under the CMVSS 213.3 provisions. We are required to notify you that a child should possess a prescription from a physician that states the Ride Safer Travel Vest is a more suitable option for the child being transported in the motor vehicle.
We do not need the prescription for the purchase, it would be for you to present should the legality ever be questioned during a traffic stop. You can download a letter from the manufacturer stating the above and prescription form here.
For those traveling to Canada: Please see “What if I’m just traveling internationally?” above.
We are always struggling with car seats and taxis/ ride share. It seems to me that this vest would solve the problem of having taxi companies having to store/know about different car seats, which are large and cumbersome. There should be a push for these to be legalized in Canada for rideshare companies.
We agree. And the manufacturer continues to work toward this.