Magazine Retracts Child Car Seat Danger Story

Posted January 18, 2007 12:00 pm.

This article is more than 5 years old.

It was big news just two weeks ago.

One of the world’s most trusted magazines came out with a startling study on the perils of using some car seats for your kids.

Consumer Reports indicated the restraining devices weren’t as safe as some parents had been led to believe.

But now, in a stunning reversal that’s highly embarrassing for the non-profit publication, the editors have been forced to retract their original story.

It turns out the tests were conducted at higher crash speeds than the authors originally claimed. The earlier contention had the seats failing “disastrously” in impacts of 60 kilometres an hour.

But now Consumer Reports indicates it has since received new information from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the speed of the tests, which may actually have been closer to 110 km/h.

Therefore, the publication admits, the tests can’t be considered accurate.

It vows to retest and republish accurate new findings.

“This is very early,” notes the magazine’s Ken Weine about the errant results. “We found this information out very recently, and as soon as we did we wanted to take the most important step, which is openly communicating with consumers.”

Despite the questionable results, the magazine insists one part of its findings was right. It would still like to see the Evenflo Discovery and the Eddie Bauer Comfort recalled because they didn’t fit properly in the cars that were used. Weine claims that has nothing to do with speed impact and the flaws in the tests won’t change that.

But many worry that the widely distributed report, which made national headlines in North America, will convince some parents to stop using child restraint seats altogether.

“I think it’s going to take a substantial educational effort to undo that damage,” fears Phil Haseltine of the U.S. National Safety Council.

Here are the seats that were in question but now seem to have been cleared:

Baby Trend Flex-Loc Adjustable Back

Graco SnugRide with EPS

Chicco KeyFit

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP

Compass 1410

Evenflo Embrace

Britax Companion

Graco SafeSeat

Safety 1st Designer

Combi Centre ST