Child car seat manufacturer Graco is recalling nearly 44,000 Comfortsport convertible child car seats in the Frazier Fashion line. These car seats apparently come with a large, supplemental pad or body pillow that partially obscures the child airbag warning label which is on the seat pad. This is a violation of federal safety standards because serious injury or even death could occur should the child car seat be placed improperly in the vehicle. Our source for this blog is this news report on Consumeraffairs.com.

Once the recall begins, Graco will notify owners of these products to discard the body pillows. These pads are provided for comfort only and do not affect the seat’s ability to protect the child in the event of an auto accident. These car seats were manufactured from November 1, 2006 through October 8, 2007. Those with more questions are asked to call Graco at 1-800-345-4109 or e-mail consumerservices@gracobaby.com.

According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2005, two children died in the United States as a result of injuries caused by airbags. Apparently, 1997 was the worst year for airbag-related deaths and injuries. In that year, 53 people died including 31 children. Federal officials attribute the reduction in airbag-related injuries and deaths to better airbag technology, more people buckling up and to the fact that more children and infants are being placed in the back seat.

That is why this warning label on these recalled Graco seats is so important. Federal safety laws are there for a reason. It would be a shock for many of us to find out how many of us parents do not know the proper way to install a child car seat in our vehicles.
Placing these car seats properly could mean the difference between life and death to our little ones. There are several organizations that conduct child car seat education classes in Orange County. For more information on how you can attend a class or schedule a safety inspection, please visit Children’s Hospital of Orange County’s (CHOC) dedicated car seat safety Web site.