Let’s imagine you just bought a brand new stroller and car seat! What an amazing feeling! You’ve unboxed them, set them up, made installations, and learned about all of their features. So, all ready to hit the road with kids now, right?
Well, not quite…
If you haven’t registered your baby car seat with the manufacturer, your child could be at risk without you knowing. Did you know that millions of car seats are recalled each year? How would you know that your car seat isn’t one of them?
Manufacturers are required to contact customers if their car seats are recalled, but they’ll only have the contact information if the car seat is registered.
So, how can you register your car seat? You have two options:
- Option 1: Register the car seat online. You’ll need the model number and the date of manufacturer which are both found on the car seat.
- Option 2: Fill out the registration card that comes with the seat and send it in. Alternatively, you can look up whether your car seat has been recalled by going to the NHTSA website. However, the only way to be contacted about a future recall is to register the car seat. If you find out that yours has been recalled, call the manufacturer to find out more about the specifics.
According to a study (Car Seat Recalls: What Every Parent Needs to Know) while 96% of people think it’s important to register a car seat, only 42% actually do it. If you’ve gone through the expense and effort of getting a car seat to protect your child in the event of a car accident, consider registering your car seat to ensure your child is not riding around in a defective one.
