Check on child car restraints

Press, 7 December 1978, Page 22

Check on child car restraints

PA Wellington | The standards Association!' says that manufacturers! have to “strike a balance”! between quick-release mech-p anism on children’s car re-j straints, and a child-proof j fasten. For the association, Mrs;’ Rosemarie Ashton said that any seat must be easily released, but not so easily that a child could do it by itself. Mrs Ashton was commenting on a report from Dunedin about Plunket Society tests on seven child- 1 ren’s car restraints which had shown that in a real emergency, children could have been killed because of the time it took to release them.

At present children's car restraints are covered by aj voluntary standard which] the association checks regu-! larly. Mrs Ashton said that Aus-, tralia had a standard similar! to New Zealand’s but had it written into law. The Consumers' Institute ■ last studied children's car! restraints six or seven years ! ago and, according to its director, Mr R. J. Smithies.! was “not happy” at that! stage. Since then the Stan-] dards Association has toughened the specifications. The association’s director,! Mr D. R. M. Pinfold, said some restraints had been rejected on the ground of an unsatisfactory clasp.