Baby Car Seat Recall

How frequently are baby car seats recalled?

From March of 1998 until May of 2001, four major manufacturers of child safety seats have announced five recalls that involved nearly 10 million car seats. Besides the baby car seat recall, many other car seats for infants are thought to have safety issues. A quick look at the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals an incredible number of recalls and/or safety concerns for many baby seats/carriers (CLICK HERE for more info).

What Typically Goes Wrong with these seats?

Child safety seat problems often involve defective handles (unexpected releases, weak construction, unexpected rotation, etc.). Nearly 500 injuries to infants have occurred since 1998 on recalled car seat/carrier models--to both restrained and unrestrained children. Most recently at Evenflo Company, Inc., the recall was due to defective handles that unexpectedly released or snapped off, which resulted in the seat flipping forward. In another recall incidence, the red push button assembly on either side of the seat that latches and adjusts the carrying handle unexpectedly released and caused the seat to flip forward.

How serious are these injuries?

To site an example, in October of 2000, Century Products recalled 4 million of their rear-facing infant car seats/carriers after they had received over 2,500 handle-related problems, including handles breaking, cracking, and not locking while it was being used as a carrier. More than 200 injuries to infants occurred on this model. Injuries can include skull fractures and concussions. Baby seat defects are so serious because they deal with infants who can be injured extremely easily.

How do I know whether or not my infant’s baby seat is a safe model?

The best step to insure your infant’s baby seat safety is to check at http://www.carseat.org/. This website provides information that tells you how safe your child’s car seat is. It also provides information on what is a proper fit and installation. In addition, you can also call the company and inquire about your car seat model number.

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What are the different types of baby seats available?

There are four major types of baby seats available. An infant car seat is ideal for infants who weigh less than 20 pounds and are under one year of age. A convertible seat starts out as a backward-facing seat and then switches to the forward-facing position. It can be used by children until they weigh 40 pounds and are roughly 43 inches tall. Toddler seats are suited for children older than one year of age who weigh between 20 and 40 pounds. A booster seat is meant for a child who has outgrown the toddler safety seat and provides protection for children up to roughly 70 pounds.

How can I protect my infant from baby seat injuries?

As a parent, you can actively strive to protect your child from any unnecessary injuries from defective car seats. Consistent and correct use of the car safety seat is the best way to insure the safety of your infant. The golden rule of thumb is to purchase a car seat with a proven track record and use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Unfortunately, many baby seats are installed incorrectly, and/or children are placed incorrectly into the seats. Refer to Baby Seat Safety for additional information on how to protect your infant while driving.

Which organizations help consumers protect themselves against baby seat recalls/problems?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides the most comprehensive information and services for baby seats. They can help you register your car seat, as well as provide a site to report any problems you may have with your child’s safety seat and obtain information about child safety seat recalls at their Auto Safety Hotline (888) DASH-2-DOT. They are online at www.nhtsa.gov.

Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent Federal regulatory agency that helps keep American families safe by reducing the risk of injury or death from consumer products. To find pertinent information here, visit the following link and do a search under "infant car seats."

http://www.cpsc.gov/index.html

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JPMA) is rallying retailers to help support the car seat safety message through in-store Baby Safety Month promotions. JPMA provides retailers with a Baby Safety Month Promotional Kit that includes all of the necessary tools and information to hold successful promotions. Every year, retailers from around the country help JPMA spread the Baby Safety Month message.

http://www.jpma.org/

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