Car seat safety: Has your baby's car seat been recalled?

When it comes to the safety of their babies, most parents don't take chances and they are unwilling to compromise. That's a good thing, because young children are very vulnerable in certain situations. A good example is car accidents.

Because babies and toddlers can be injured or killed in even minor car accidents, parents are typically willing to spend a lot of money to buy the safest car seat available. Unfortunately, car seats are notorious for two different and dangerous problems. The first is that installation instructions are often confusing. The second is that in recent years, a significant number of baby car seats have been recalled due to serious safety defects.

Last year alone, more than 6 million car seats were recalled in the United States. And according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than half of those recalled seats have yet to be repaired. This is likely due to parents being unaware that a safety recall has been issued.

Product registration cards have never been very popular in the United States. Most Americans buy a product and never bother to register the purchase with the manufacturer. For most products, that approach is just fine. But when it comes to something like car seats or other safety equipment, registering the product means that you are far more likely to be notified of an important recall.

If you've had your car seat for a while and never had it registered, you can still take action to ensure that you are informed about recalls. The website allows you to register a car seat with just the model number and the date that it was manufactured.

Babies are perhaps the most precious cargo our vehicles will ever carry. If you've got a baby or toddler at home, please take some time to verify that their car seat is safe and not subject to a recall.