NHTSA ALERTS PARENTS ABOUT SAFETY RECALL OF COSCO CHILD SEATS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced a safety recall of 15,370 Dreamride Ultra infant seats manufactured by Cosco, Inc., of Columbus, Ind., because they do not meet the standard for crash safety.

Properly used child safety seats are lifesavers. We ve seen time and again how well child restraints protect children, even in some extremely violent crashes. By responding to this recall and working with the manufacturer to repair your child seat, you can be sure you are protecting your child if he or she is involved in a crash, NHTSA Administrator Ricardo Martinez, M.D., said to owners of the seats.

When subjected to a 30-mph impact in NHTSA tests, the Dreamride Ultra rotated backward too much. The federal safety standard requires that rear-facing restraints do not rotate more than 70 degrees from the vertical at impact. The involved Dreamride Ultra rotated slightly further. Involved in the recall are Model 02-719 Dreamride Ultra Car Bed/Seats manufactured from April 8, 1994 through June 15, 1995.

Dr. Martinez urged owners of these seats to contact Cosco, Inc., for a free reinforcement kit and installation instructions. Cosco, Inc., can be reached by calling (800) 314-9327 or by writing to Cosco, Inc., 2525 State St., Columbus, Ind., 47201-7494.

He told parents who had no suitable, alternative safety seat that they should continue using their Cosco Dreamride Ultra until they receive and install the reinforcement kit. An unrestrained child is at a much greater risk of injury in a crash than a child in a restraint system, Dr. Martinez, a board-certified emergency physician, said. He also reminded parents to never use a rear-facing infant seat in an air bag- equipped position.