Baby car seats of death An NGO has raised alarm bells over the safety of child seats, saying they have been banned in Europe, but not withdrawn from the local market. Consumer watchdog, Georgina Crouth, investigates.
CHILD car seats that were recalled in Europe owing to safety concerns are being widely sold in South Africa, posing a serious risk to little lives.
An NGO which advocates for road safety for children has raised concern about the protection offered by these baby seats.
Peggie Mars, founder of Wheel Well, has warned that three “universal car seats” made in China – the Fine Living Ganen and two Lucky Baby toddler seats, rebranded as Chelino products – were recalled in May, but not in South Africa, by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS).
Wheel Well accepts donations of new and used child seats, which are made available to the public.
Mars says the seats must be recalled from the end-user. “It’s astounding. I contacted the NRCS to do something about it. The seats are going for under R1 000 and you’re basically buying a death certificate,” she says.
Mars says the NRCS does not test car seats any longer, but relies on the higher authority of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). So if the ECE withdraws certification for a product, it should automatically be withdrawn in South Africa.
“The NRCS issues a certificate based on the European standard ECE certificate, essentially rubber-stamping it. Yet many child seats on our market don’t seem to be ECE-compliant,” she says.
The NRCS was contacted repeatedly for comment, but could not be reached. Mars also sent them queries in August this year and has had no response.
An ECE member has now raised concern about a fourth car seat, after a German crash-test video showed the Jiangsu LB513 crumbling on impact, posing a serious risk to children and other occupants. The LB513 was sold locally and is sold in Europe under various names, though the ECE number, E4-44R-043821, is the same. It won’t be recalled until an official complaint is lodged with the European safety authority. LIFE SAVERS: Peggie Mars from Wheel Well carries a car seat inside her shop at Brightwater Commons in Randburg. Peggie collects used car seats from parents and gives them away to parents who cannot afford to buy car seats.
Imports of the LB513 have stopped but the HB616, which appears to be the same product, is on the SA market under the same brand name, Chelino Phantom.
Another concern is that the NRCS last updated its homologation (safety and other approval) database for child restraints on January 23 2014, Mars notes.
The Fine Living was sold by Takealot and other online retailers. Takealot has removed it from the site as a precaution, saying: “We were made aware of the recall of the Fine Living Ganen child restraint product by the European Commission in late September. We immediately removed the product from the website.
“We enquired with the NRCS as to whether a recall was necessary. However, their response was that they would investigate and a recall would be issued by them should it be deemed necessary. On October 25 this year, the NRCS confirmed with our supplier that the product in question was compliant and suitable for sale . . . the product has still not yet been reactivated on our site as we only just received the final written communication from our suppliers on November 29.”
Chelino Baby were asked if they had contacted consumers and retailers to alert them to the ECE certificates withdrawal for the seats, but their lawyer, Nadia Shaik, said they did not have enough time to respond given the “sensitivity” and implications of the inquiry.
Shaik later wrote: “Our client is a wholesaler, retailer and distributor of various baby products marked with the brand ‘Chelino’ . . . there are various manufacturers of baby accessories, most based in China.
“The manufacturers produce the goods, and the product specifications are then forwarded to our client to determine (suitability for marketing) under their own brand. Prior to agreement, our client requests that the manufacturer supply an ECE test report.”
Chelino Baby then submits documentation to the NRCS for the issuing of a homologation certificate, and the authority conducts its own tests. Chelino was issued with two homologation certificates for the “Phantom”, Shaik says.
“Accordingly, the safety certification for the product remains valid and applicable, and no recalls have been issued by the NRCS.”
The company, which hasn’t addressed the ECE certificates withdrawal, has accused Mars of “repeatedly” making unfounded allegations against their products’ safety.
“Although Wheel Well claims to be a non-profit organisation, we note that the products it endorses as ‘safe’ are those aimed at the high-end consumer. It is a fact that expensive does not equate to quality. Further, no consideration has been given to our economy and endusers. The reality is most South Africans fall in the low-income bracket . . . hile it is commendable that Wheel Well is seeking to educate South Africans about car safety and the safety of children, the campaign should not be biased . . . it is apparent that the allegations are vexatious and vindictive and that Wheel Well has a veiled ulterior motive,” she says.
Mars denies Chelino Baby’s claims: “Wheel Well has never made any public defamatory statements against Chelino or their related companies. We respond to parents, who ask for recommendations.
“If we cannot with clear conscience recommend a car seat as safe, reliable and appropriate, we do not do so. Some of these seats were and are sold by Chelino. We advise parents across the income spectrum on what to look for in a safe car seat and rely on good, independent testing results. There are quite a few safe and reliable seats available in the market that are very reasonably priced. Our bias is towards safety and not against Chelino.”