THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 27, 1995 TAG: 9507270392
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: YONKERS, N.Y. LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
Three child safety seat models failed to live up to their names in test car crashes, Consumers Union warned Wednesday.
One of the manufacturers had already recalled its model. But two disputed the results.
The independent testing organization's technical director, R. David Pittle, urged that they recall the seats in question, and he asked federal regulators to impose more stringent testing standards.
Even though all states now require infants and small children to ride in government-approved safety seats, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 700 children die and at least 60,000 are injured in car crashes each year.
Consumers Union tested 25 models and rated 22 of them as safe but will give ``not acceptable'' ratings in the September issue of Consumer Reports to:
The Century 590 infant seat when used with its detachable base. Pittle noted, however, that other Century models were the highest-rated in each category tested.
The Kolcraft Traveler 700 convertible seat when facing forward.
The Evenflo On My Way 206 infant seat when used without its base. With the base, the seat was safe, Pittle said.
Based on its own tests, Evenflo recalled the seat several weeks ago. The recall affects models made from May 7, 1994, through May 31, 1995; Evenflo is providing repair kits for those models, which Pittle said Consumers Union would test.
KEYWORDS: CAR SEAT CHILD SAFETY SEAT by CNB