Parents urged not to buy 10 types of child car seats

Evelyn Ring

A new study has found that the seats do not provide enough protection in a serious crash or are difficult to install.

Although the seats meet basic EU standards for safety, respected British consumer watchdog Which has found that the level of protection they afford is not as good as other models tested.

Which is now calling on the EU to tighten up its minimum safety standards for car seats and for parents to boycott the 10 seats involved.

The less-safe seats identified in the study include models from the Mamas & Papas and Britax ranges.

Other models that parents are urged to avoid buying are Concord Trimax X-Line, Meggy Kombi, Storchenmuhle Starlight SP and Graco Junior plus.

The Which team ran crash tests on cars using dummies in the seats to test the protection they offered against a head-on crash and a side-on crash, but at higher forces than the EU standards require.

Senior researcher and motoring specialist at Which David Evans pointed out that in a severe accident the seats were not protecting a child adequately, and they could die or be seriously injured as a result.

"These should be withdrawn. These companies are good players, with good products on offer too. There's no reason to sell unsafe seats. It's irresponsible," he said.

Some of the seats also proved so complicated to install that they were regularly badly fitted, adding to the risk of the child.

Britax said the three models identified as being inadequate Cruiser Plus, Ranger and Trio were being phased out as part of its commitment to achieving the highest standards in safety.

Mamas and Papas told Which that it complied with all existing laws and would be happy to change its range according to changes in the law.

Models from the Mamas and Papas range that Which is urging parents to avoid are the Navetta, Elan and Passaggio.

Spokesperson for the National Safety Council (NSC) Brian Farrell described the research by Which as "excellent" and a must-have for any parent.

"Anyone who is thinking of buying a car seat for their child, or has one already and is wondering about its safety performance, should get their hands on this magazine (Which)," he insisted. "What parents should be doing is buying the best child car seat on the market,"

Last year Which identified certain brands of carry cots that disintegrated in low-speed collisions. Parents were urged not to use these products either.

Mr Farrell said the NSC had got permission from Which to post their carry cot study on their website (www.nsc.ie) and was hoping to be allowed to show their latest research on child car seats on the website as well.

Mr Farrell added that the NSC's guide on how to select and fit a child car seat could be downloaded from the council's website.