On behalf of Smiley & Smiley, LLP posted in Defective Products on Wednesday, November 16, 2016.
New Yorkers who become new parents often have the task of researching child safety products, and one of the most critical items to think about is the car seat. Staying informed about car seat issues and developments may play an important part in keeping children safe in vehicles.Safekids.org explains that car seat manufacturers must abide by rigorous standards set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Consumer Product Safety Commission. However, in some situations, a product may develop a fault and not work as intended.
When this happens, an efficient way to communicate about the problem is through registration cards. If a car seat becomes the subject of a recall, those parents who completed the card are usually contacted directly by the manufacturer, and given repair kits or other important recall instructions.
Nonetheless, while numerous parents agree that car seat registration is crucial, researchers have found that less than half actually return completed cards. In several cases, this was due to a general and misguided distrust of the manufacturer’s intentions. As a result, a large number of seat owners end up hearing about a recall only when it is eventually reported in the news.
Consumer Reports discusses a continuously developing car seat issue that parents should watch for in the safety information provided by manufacturers, news reports and agencies. In order to meet certain fire safety standards, many car seat companies use chemicals that may be harmful. But, it is not recommended that people stop using their seats. Instead, parents are advised to regularly clean the inside of their car as well as the safety seats, and limit the amount of time their children spend in them.
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