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WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), Kolcraft Enterprises of Chicago, Ill., is recalling about 754,000
infant car seat/carriers for repair. When used as an infant carrier, the
handle can unexpectedly move from the intended carrying position, causing
the seat to suddenly rotate. When this happens, the infant can fall to the
ground and suffer serious injuries.
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Handle-related
problem has led to 42 reported injuries to children, including skull
fractures and concussions. |
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"Kolcraft is offering a free repair kit to address the
problem," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "It's an easy repair to
make, and it is designed to protect your baby from a very serious
injury." There have been more than 3,000 reports of handle-related
problems, the majority of which report that the handle of the infant car
seat/carrier unexpectedly moved from the intended use position, resulting
in 42 injuries to infants. Some children were restrained in the carrier
and others were not. These injuries range from a skull fracture and
concussions to cuts, scrapes and bruises. "Riding in a child safety
seat on the car's rear seat for every trip is the safest way to transport
young children in a motor vehicle," said NHTSA Acting Administrator
Rosalyn Millman. "The recall announced today is not related to how
the seat performs while in a car. Parents should continue using these
carriers as car seats."
The recall involves Kolcraft infant car seat/carriers with the model
names: Infant Rider, Secura, Travel-About, Plus 4, Plus 5, Kolcraft Infant
Restraint, Kolcraft Infant Car Seat and Playskool Infant Car Seat
manufactured from January 1, 1993, through June 30, 1999. The five-digit
model/style number and manufacture date, written as month/day/year and
possibly the model name are written on a label on the side of the seat.
Some car seat/carriers also were sold with strollers.
If the first digits of the model/style numbers on your car seat/carrier
match the numbers in the following list, then it is subject to this
recall.
Model Style Number Series* of Affected Kolcraft Car
Seat/Carriers
1312X, 1382X, 1383X, 1384X, 1385X, 368XX, 43XXX, 7700X
*There are a total of 50 Model/Style numbers affected by this
recall.
Juvenile product, mass merchandise and major discount stores nationwide
sold the car seat/carriers beginning in January 1993 for about $30 to $60
when sold alone, or $100 to $150 when sold with strollers.
Kolcraft will provide a free repair kit designed to make the handle
more secure. The repair can be done easily in the home. Consumers should
not carry the seat by the handle until it has been repaired. Consumers can
continue to use the product as a car seat or in combination with the
stroller. CPSC, NHTSA and Kolcraft remind parents and caregivers to always
restrain infants when in the car seat/carrier according to instructions.
To receive a free repair kit or for more information, call Kolcraft
toll free at (877) 776-2609, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Seats
manufactured from July 1, 1999, have newly designed handle mechanisms and
are not part of this recall. Also, the Kolcraft Rock N Ride is not part of
this recall.
CPSC and NHTSA have cooperated in two other infant car seat/carrier
recalls - Evenflo's On My Way and Cosco Inc.'s Arriva and Turnabout.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Press Release
(1/20/2000)
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