Graco car seat buckle recall

When I read about this the other day, I wondered if it could have been the reason the parents of a baby who died in a hot car had gone back to using their old car seat before the death.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2014/0702/Graco-buckle-recall-Find-out-if-your-car-seat-is-among-1.9-million-recalled


Graco Children's Products is recalling 1.9 million infant car seats, bowing to demands from U.S. safety regulators, in what is now the largest seat recall in American history.

The recall, announced Tuesday, comes after a five-month spat between Graco and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Earlier this year the company recalled 4.2 million toddler seats because the harness buckles can get stuck. But it resisted the agency's demand to recall the infant seats.

Buckles can get gummed up by food and drinks, and that could make it hard to remove children. In some cases parents had to cut harnesses to get their kids out. The agency says that increases the risk of injuries in emergencies.

Graco argued that infant seats are used differently, and in an emergency, an adult can remove the whole seat rather than using the buckle.
Graco argued that infant seats are used differently, and in an emergency, an adult can remove the whole seat rather than using the buckle. [In an emergency, the time it could take for a panicked parent to stop trying to open the buckle could mean the difference between life and death.]

•••••

The agency said parents have filed complaints with the agency and the company about stuck buckles on the infant seats.

•••••


Graco will replace the buckles for free. Graco also is offering to send free replacement buckles to any customer, even those with seats not being recalled.

The company says owners can check to see if their seats are included by going to www.GracoBuckleRecall.com or by calling (877) 766-7470.