Stroller hinge mechanisms—the joints on the sides that allow the stationary parts of the stroller to pivot and permit the stroller to fold—have been in the news since the November 9, 2009 recall of 1 million Maclaren umbrella strollers. The recall was prompted by 12 reports of children’s fingertips being amputated when their fingers became caught in the strollers’ hinge mechanisms. But like other strollers bearing the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) certification logo, the Maclaren models all meet current voluntary stroller standards. (Read what does the JPMA certification logo really mean?)
So what happened? The standards for stroller hinges apply to the product when it is in a locked, open position—not when it’s actually being opened or closed. According to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall notice, the Maclaren strollers’ hinge mechanism poses a hazard when the stroller is being unfolded or opened.
In general, strollers present risks to young children. In 2008 alone, strollers were responsible for an estimated 12,400 injuries to children under age 5—more than any other baby product—according to the CPSC. The leading cause of all baby product injuries were falls, and the head was most frequently injured. But with the recent Maclaren recall, fingertip safety is now being brought to light.
To rate strollers at Consumer Reports, many of our tests are based on the voluntary standards created by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)-International. Among other safety checks, our engineers check hinges and other parts of the strollers—once they’re in an open, locked position—for the following criteria:
• Scissoring, pinching and shearing: The propensity of the stroller’s parts to close up like the blades of a scissor and cause a pinch or shear off an extremity, like a finger.
• Sizes of openings: Any openings within the hinges or other stroller parts should be small enough to prohibit small extremities from fitting inside their inner workings.
• Exposed coil springs: Any spring-loaded hinge mechanisms or other springs (such as those for suspension systems) should have some means of keeping the spring inaccessible to prevent pinching or worse.
• Static load: The stroller’s ability to remain open and locked when a weight is placed within it, and for the hinges to remain in a locked position.
• Latch mechanism: The stroller latch mechanisms should be secure enough to prevent the stroller from unintentionally folding.
To keep tragedies like finger amputations from occurring, the standards for strollers need to be strengthened, according to Don Mays, Consumers Union’s senior director of Product Safety and Technical Policy. While children should be kept away from a stroller when it’s being opened or closed, there should be safeguards in place to anticipate those occurrences. At ASTM-International’s next stroller committee meeting in March 2010, Mays and other Consumers Union staffers plan to help strengthen the standard to address hinge safety while the product is being folded and unfolded.
In the meantime, Consumer Reports’ engineers are working to strengthen our own test protocols to evaluate risks such as these, even when industry standards are lacking. Parents can also keep their kids safe by making sure young children are out of reach when opening or closing any stroller. (For more stroller safety advice, see Safety tips: 7 stroller mistakes and how to avoid them.)—Artemis DiBenedetto
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