You’ve spent top dollar on a state-of-the-art car seat for your child that perfectly fits their weight and age. The car seat meets every safety requirement and even has a cup holder to avoid (okay, reduce) spills from sippy cups and snack containers. You’ve buckled your child in, and you’re all set to hit the road… right?
Unfortunately, a recent recall from BMW shows that child auto safety requires more than just a regulation car seat.
BMW had to recall the model year 2011-2017 X3, and model year 2015-2017 X4 SUVs. This recall affects over 600,000 SUVs around the world, and over 180,000 of those SUVs have been purchased in the United States. The recall concerns the car’s child seat anchors, which are meant to hold car seats in place during turns, bumps, or an auto accident.
There have been many reported incidents of the anchors becoming damaged, and therefore ineffective at holding child restraint seats in place. This is due to poor welding between the anchor bars and the bar’s mounting plate. BMW has not received reports that the damaged anchor bars have caused any injuries or fatalities, but is issuing the recall to prevent any accidents that may occur.
Hopefully, this recall serves as a wake-up call to car buyers with children: even though you may purchase top-of-the-line child restraint seats, the car you drive can still put your child in danger.
Auto Safety for Families
As your family grows and your cars get older, it is important to check in with the regulations and car features that are keeping your family safe. Consider these quick tips for keeping your family safe in the car this year:
- If you have children who still use car seats, do a quick inspection of the seat and how it attaches to your car. Does your seat meet recommendations or requirements for your child’s age and weight? Does the seat move from side to side when you take a quick turn? Does it jump if you hit a speed bump? (We recommend doing these tests while your child is not buckled in!)
- Make sure that every part of your car is up-to-date and is still considered safe. How? Do a quick check online. Have any recalls been issued regarding your car or any of its safety features? (Think here.
- If your children are still young, remove any hazards or items that can be thrown as your child explores the back seat of the car. In between work, grocery trips, and other errands without your children, you may leave dangerous items just sitting loose, but these things can become dangerous. Continually clean the backseat and keep it hazard-free.
- Teach your children safe car habits. Make sure they buckle up before every trip. Display good driving behavior (no distracted driving or speeding) so they grow up to be safe drivers.
If your child has been injured in a car accident, it is important to look over every aspect of the child’s restraint seat and surrounding areas of the car. Ineffective car parts may have caused your child’s accident, which will allow you to file a personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturer of your car.
About the Author:
Since 1994, seasoned litigation and trial lawyer Anthony B. White has helped thousands of accident victims seek damages due to injuries sustained as a result of another party’s negligence. Included in America’s Registry of Outstanding Professionals and selected to the 2012, 2014-2016 editions of Florida Super Lawyers, Mr. White specializes in car accidents, insurance disputes, wrongful death, product liability, and medical malpractice cases. He is a longstanding member of the Florida Justice Association and the American Association for Justice and currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Broward County Justice Association.