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Consumer Reports withdraws negative report on infant car seats
The Associated Press
Issue date: 1/19/07 Section: News
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Consumer Reports on Thursday retracted a negative report on infant car seats that left many parents worried about their babies' safety - an embarrassing revelation for the venerable magazine.
Consumer Reports said it was withdrawing the report, issued Jan. 4, because some of its test crashes were conducted at speeds higher than it had claimed.
The original report said most of the seats tested "failed disastrously" in crashes at speeds as low as 35 mph. In one test, it said, a dummy child was hurled 30 feet.
But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said some of the crash tests were conducted under conditions that would represent being struck at more than 70 mph.
"Consumer Reports was right to withdraw its infant car seat test report and I appreciate that they have taken this corrective action," said NHTSA administrator Nicole Nason. "I was troubled by the report because it frightened parents and could have discouraged them from using car seats."
In an interview, Nason said more than 100 worried parents had called the agency's hotline on the evening the original report was released.
Phil Haseltine, executive director of the National Safety Council's Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign, said the report had raised doubts among many parents about their car seats despite the "very rigorous standard at NHTSA."
"I think it's going to take a substantial educational effort to undo that damage," said Haseltine, whose organization was created through a partnership of automakers, insurance companies and safety groups.
Consumer Reports said it would review its study, retest the car seats and publish a new article as soon as possible.
In a statement Thursday, Consumer Reports said it had received information from the NHTSA "concerning the speed at which our side-impact tests were conducted" - supposedly, 38 mph. Consumer Reports spokesman Ken Weine said new information from the federal agency showed that the speeds were higher.
Consumer Reports said it was withdrawing the report, issued Jan. 4, because some of its test crashes were conducted at speeds higher than it had claimed.
The original report said most of the seats tested "failed disastrously" in crashes at speeds as low as 35 mph. In one test, it said, a dummy child was hurled 30 feet.
But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said some of the crash tests were conducted under conditions that would represent being struck at more than 70 mph.
"Consumer Reports was right to withdraw its infant car seat test report and I appreciate that they have taken this corrective action," said NHTSA administrator Nicole Nason. "I was troubled by the report because it frightened parents and could have discouraged them from using car seats."
In an interview, Nason said more than 100 worried parents had called the agency's hotline on the evening the original report was released.
Phil Haseltine, executive director of the National Safety Council's Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign, said the report had raised doubts among many parents about their car seats despite the "very rigorous standard at NHTSA."
"I think it's going to take a substantial educational effort to undo that damage," said Haseltine, whose organization was created through a partnership of automakers, insurance companies and safety groups.
Consumer Reports said it would review its study, retest the car seats and publish a new article as soon as possible.
In a statement Thursday, Consumer Reports said it had received information from the NHTSA "concerning the speed at which our side-impact tests were conducted" - supposedly, 38 mph. Consumer Reports spokesman Ken Weine said new information from the federal agency showed that the speeds were higher.
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