Defective Child Car Seat Dangers

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for anyone in the U.S. from birth until his or her teen years. Child car seats are designed to prevent death and minimize injuries to children in the event of an automobile accident. There are many reasons why child car seats sometimes do not perform as they should, not the least of which is that many parents do not know when to use them or how to use them correctly.  In addition to failing to protect a child from harm if a child's car seat that does not work as intended, a defective car seat can actually cause additional injuries to a child.

The more common child seat defects include:

• Shoulder straps may slide loose or unclip under the force of an automobile  collision, resulting in full or partial ejection from the seat.
• The slot where the seat belt holds the car seat in position is not strong enough to hold the seat in place during a car accident.
• Inadequate pelvic protection allows the child to slide down in the seat during a car crash.

Other problems include weak construction, unanticipated rotation, sudden releases and defective handles, among others. Holding child car seat manufacturers  liable for injuries resulting from their defective products ensures that child car seat quality and technology will continue to improve.

When you buy a car seat for your child, you should frequently check if the car seat  has been recalled. Manufacturers are required to fix the problem free of charge.  If your car seat is recalled, be sure to get it fixed immediately.

One of the easiest ways to keep track if any recalls have been issued for your car  seat is for you to register it. If you have an older model that has not been registered,  the Auto Safety Hotline provides information on how to do so.

Before you call the Auto Safety Hotline, however, you should have the Manufacturer's Name,  the car seat's name and model number, and the date of manufacture readily available. You may find this information on labels that are typically attached on the back, the side, or underneath the car seat. If the information is in number codes, it may be best to have the car seat readily available when you  make your call.

Of course, when initially purchasing a car seat for your child, you may wish to first consult  a consumer reporting agency and pay close attention to height and weight limits of the car  seat as your child grows. You should also make sure that the car seat is compatible with your car."