Britax, a child car seat manufacturer, recently issued a recall on 14,220 of its newer Chaperone seats. The recall was because a rivet can become loose and cause the harness adjuster to detach from the seat. Without the harness adjuster, the harness straps cannot properly restrain the baby during a crash, which increases the risk of injury or death for the infant. Models E9L692J, E9L692K, E9L692L and E9L692M manufactured from Sept. 1, 2010, through April 30, 2011 are affected by this recall. Britax will provide consumers and retailers with a remedy kit to correct the harness adjuster problem.

This recall is only the latest in what has become an ongoing safety problem. Thousands of car seats are recalled each year, but most parents are not even aware that they are entrusting their children’s lives to a defective car seat. To make sure that a child’s car seat has not been recalled, parents must either search for the car seat on the recall list or register the child’s car seat for recall notifications. To search for a child’s car seat on the recall list, parents can go to http://www.carseat.org/Recalls/179NP.pdf and look for the child’s car seat model on the recall list. However, the best solution is to register the child’s car seat with the manufacturer. Parents can register with the following manufacturers on their website:

• Britax: http://www.britaxusa.com/registration/

• Chicco: http://www.chiccousa.com/carseatregistration.aspx

• Clek Inc. : http://clekinc.com/register/

• Combi: http://www.combiusa.com/Customer-Care/Product-Registration-Car-Seats.aspx

• Compass: http://www.learningcurve.com/productregistration?icid=ddmenu&locale=en_US

• Dorel: http://www.djgusa.com/registration/

• Evenflo: https://plweb.evenflo.com/ProductRegistration/Default.aspx

• Graco: http://www.gracobaby.com/Product%20Registration/Pages/ProductRegistration.aspx?productType=1

• Orbit baby: http://www.orbitbaby.com/en/support/register/consumer/

• Peg Perego: http://us.pegperego.com/babyproducts-site/product-registration-form/

• RECARO: http://www.recaro-registry.com

• Regal Lager: http://www.regallager.com/register/default.aspx?RegistrationType=CarSeat

Parents can also register the child’s car seat with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. From 1975 to 2008, an estimated 8,959 lives were saved by child restraints. To maximize child safety, parents should do the following:

• Use a car seat on every trip regardless of distance;

• Read and follow the car manufacturer’s instructions;

• Use a car seat that is appropriate for the child’s weight and height;

• Keep the child in a car seat for as long as the child meets the car seat’s weight and height specifications; and

• Keep all children under the age of 12 in the backseat.

If you would like additional information on child car seat safety and recalls, contact Stephanie Stephens, a lawyer in our Personal Injury Section, at 800-898-2034 or by email at Stephanie.Stephens@beasleyallen.com.

Sources: NHTSA; SafetyBeltSafe USA; and Al.com