British company Maclaren has removed more than one million strollers for children in the US after 12 amputations in children's fingers.
The US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) contacted the company upon receiving news of fifteen accident cases. It seems that strollers have a hinge mechanism "It represents a danger of amputation or injury to children when the consumer is folding or opening it."
MacLaren then decided to remove all the chairs with this mechanism although it will not do so in Europe, where they will continue selling the same models in which they will add a label in which they will explain how to open and close the chairs and in which they will warn that Children should not be with them at those times. Accidents have occurred at the time when the chair opened or closed, when children put their hands on the mechanism that allows the chairs to change positions.
The company has stated that opening or closing the stroller should be considered as dangerous as opening or closing a car door. As they comment, the chairs comply with all safety measures both in the US and in Europe and that accidents occur only when misuse and never when children are sitting in the chair.
MacLaren also offers parents a chair a safety kit with a piece that covers the folding mechanism to prevent children from putting their fingers in it.
In Spain, FACUA - Consumers in action has requested the INC (National Institute of Consumption) to analyze the nine models that have been withdrawn in North America in case it was necessary to request a similar measure by MacLaren, which at the moment he will not remove the chairs but he does offer the same safety kit to the Spanish families that want it.
The nine retired models are: Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveler.
We have a MacLaren seat that we have used for two years and that we will use again (if it survives) for another time and we have never had any problems. I suppose that the logic of not having the child close when the chair is opened or closed has avoided a scare like that of the twelve American children with amputations.
