Authorities warn Central Coast families of Counterfeit Car Seats
SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Local authorities have identified a growing concern involving substandard car seats for infants and toddlers.
Marian Regional Medical Center and the California Highway Patrol are raising awareness that counterfeit car seats are being sold to Central Coast families.
It's tempting because many of these are less expensive, and most parents are on a budget.
But they're not safe.
“Parents are buying them either online or through swap meets. Lots of times they actually think that they're getting this upscale product, where it actually is a just a fabricated product that hasn't gotten any type of regulations and is highly dangerous for their children,” says Kevin Rodriguez, MD, general and trauma surgeon at Marian Regional Medical Center.
Hospital staff and law enforcement say these bogus car seats -- mostly sold online -- do not hold up under established safety regulations.
“Looking at the car seat side by side, you'll notice that the straps are a lot thinner on the stroller and almost twice the size on the actual car seat that is approved to be used here in the US as a car seat. You'll also notice that there is no chest clip or retainer clip on the stroller, but there is one on the actual car seat. And then if you look at the labels, the information that should be on the manufacturer label is missing on the stroller, but not on the car seat,” says CHP spokesperson Maria Barriga.
Marian's Trauma Center Injury Prevention Team has encountered and replaced 6 counterfeit products in the last two months.
“Before mom and dad even go home with the baby. They're doing safety checks of the car seats here in the hospital, and they're finding that these car seats that they're having are actually some counterfeited car seats,” says Dr. Rodriguez.
Some of these products are approved for use only as strollers. Some are approved for use as car seats in other countries and still others are completely substandard, unsanctioned products.
“If you're purchasing a car seat and the price seems to be too good to be true, it might be,” says Officer Barriga.
CHP encourages parents of infants and toddlers to do as much research as possible before purchasing a car seat and be prepared to spend a little more money for the sake of your child's safety.
