Counterfeit car seats on the rise in Utah
Sep 16, 2024, 7:05 PM | Updated: 7:21 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Counterfeit car seats are becoming a growing concern for families and Utah is no exception.
“Families are trying to find, you know, the cheapest deal with things being so expensive nowadays,” said Linsey Miller.
Miller is the manager for the Inquiry Prevention Program run by the Salt Lake County Health Department.
The program focuses on providing resources to families to help them prevent childhood injuries. Their services include providing low cost car seats to families that can’t afford one along with car seat inspections.
“Here at our clinic, we saw quite a few (counterfeit car seats) in a really short time. And it seems like that trend is increasing across the state of Utah,” Miller said.
The counterfeit car seats are typically sold online through third-party vendors and most times have not been crash tested or meet United States regulations.
“A couple of times (parents were) like, ‘(this) was given to me as a baby shower gift from my friends and family.’ So that’s sad that sometimes they’re out a good chunk of money, too, with what they purchased,” Miller said.
When spotting a counterfeit car seat, Linsey Miller, with the Salt Lake County Health Department, said to check if belt has a chest strap for the child. (KSL TV)
When inspecting the car seats, Miller said she works to make sure families do not feel any sense of shame if they learn their seat is counterfeit.
“We’re always so grateful that parents and families come in so that their child is leaving safer than they arrived,” she said. “And when they come in with a counterfeit car seat, we’re able to help replace that car seat immediately.”
What to look for
When spotting a counterfeit car seat, Miller suggested to check if belt has a chest strap for the child. Parents should also pay attention to the warning labels on the seat.
“You’ll see more of the picture labels that are really simple versus on a legitimate car seat you’re going to have labels all over the place that are written and have pictures as well. It’ll be in English and Spanish,” she said.
It’s also important to pay attention to grammar.
“If there are grammar mistakes, then we kind of know it’s a red flag. Make sure to also look for the manufacturing sticker, which at times may be missing from a counterfeit car seat, and register it,” Miller said.
Miller suggested if parents are looking for a specific brand, buy directly from the manufacturer or a big box store.
Miller said when purchasing a car seat online, if the deal is good, it’s likely too good to be true.
“A lot of times in the car seat world, we’ll just say when we know better, we do better,” she said. “We want to just make sure that we’re able to help families keep their kids as safe as possible.
To schedule a car seat inspection, call the county health department at (385) 486-5284 or to find an inspection station near you, click here.
