Safety Concerns Over Baby Strollers

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday August 10, 1994

By STEVE OFFNER

The Australian Consumers' Association has called for mandatory Australian Standards for the design of baby strollers following new research showing half the models tested failed to meet durability or safety standards.

The research by the association's Choice magazine found that three of the 10 models of layback umbrella strollers tested did not meet voluntary Australian Standards for safety and half could not be recommended for use.

The layback strollers were found to be unsuitable for babies under six months old because none had a barrier to prevent a baby from falling out the back when the stroller was reclined.

One baby has died in Australia from falling out of the stroller in this way.

A spokeswoman for Choice, Ms Gail Kennedy, said three models lacked a full safety harness, including shoulder straps, to keep the baby inside.

"The harness fulfils part of the voluntary Australian Standards. The fact that these strollers did not have them reflects the importance of having mandatory guidelines in place."

Ms Kennedy said the Federal Bureau of Consumer Affairs was conducting independent tests with the view of making the standards compulsory. Choice would support any effort to enshrine the standards in legislation.

The umbrella stroller gets its name from the way it folds into a long narrow shape which resembles a folded umbrella. There are two versions on the Australian market, the upright, usually for older children and the layback, which some parents use for new born babies.

The layback was the stroller tested.

Ms Kennedy said: "Choice believes these umbrella layback strollers are not suitable for babies under six months and there should be clear warnings on all layback strollers indicating this to prospective purchasers."

Only one of the models in the Choice test had a sticker to this effect.

Ms Kennedy said the five umbrella strollers which could not be recommended by Choice had either failed a series of durability tests or did not have the full five-point safety harness.

The strollers were trialled for six hours in normal day-to-day activities and during a 50 hour accelerated rolling test. Problems with durability emerged after the initial six-hour period.

Two models of stroller were rendered unusable at the end of testing because the enamel steel cross bar - important for keeping the stroller open - had snapped.

Ms Kennedy said the fact that they had snapped was "most concerning".

A spokesman for the Federal Minister for Consumer Affairs, Ms McHugh, said the Federal Bureau's independent research had been completed and the Minister was waiting on the final results which would be available by the end of the week.

The spokesman said the Minister preferred to err on the side of safety when it came to consumer products.

"If the testing that has been done suggests that the voluntary standards need to be made mandatory, then that is what will be done."