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9/14/15 blog post

register your car seat today

In 2014, more than six million car seats were recalled for a safety defect, yet fewer than half of them were repaired.

With support from General Motors, Safe Kids Worldwide recently launched new research with really interesting findings. “Car Seat Recalls: What Every Parent Needs to Know” surveyed 562 parents of children who use a car seat through a Harris Poll. In addition, Safe Kids collected responses from 44 parent participants of an online bulletin board discussion.

Key findings:

  • Only 42 percent of parents said they filled out and returned the registration card for their most recent car seat purchase.
  • 80 percent of parents said that the car seat registration card is important, and 68 percent were aware of the card’s purpose for safety.
  • Once they learned that the purpose of the registration card is to notify owners of a recall, 97 percent of parents said registering the car seat is important.
  • Parents most often hear about car seat recalls through the news (71 percent).

The study demonstrated a significant need among parents for accessible, reliable, actionable information on car seat safety testing and regulation, the role of car seat registration cards and the importance of taking action when a car seat is recalled.

What can you do as a parent?

Register your car seat

Option 1: Register on your car seat manufacturer’s website. You’ll need the model number and date of manufacture found on a label on your car seat.

Option 2: Fill out and mail in the registration card that came with your car seat. It already includes your car seat’s information. No postage required.

Tip: You can also register your car seat online at http://www.safercar.gov/parents/index.htm and click on “car seats.” If your car seat information is handy, you can register in less than two minutes.

Check if your car seat has been involved in a recall

Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website at http://bit.ly/recalledseats to check if your car seat has been recalled. You will need the name of the manufacturer, model number and date of manufacture. A label on your car seat will likely have all this information in one place.

Act

If your car seat has been recalled, act. Contact the manufacturer to learn about the recall. They will tell you what to do until the repair is made. If you registered in advance, you will automatically receive the repair. If you didn’t register, you can request the repair from the manufacturer. Once you receive the repair, make it.

Tip: Take a photo of your car seat label and save it to your phone so you can have it for future reference.

Keep informed

To stay informed about recalls, sign up for Safe Kids Worldwide’s product recall emails. We cover many children’s products and will keep you updated about recall notices from the major federal agencies – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Spread the word

Share this information about car seat recalls with your network of parents, friends and family. It is helpful to mention it if you are giving the car seat as a gift.