As of this week, infant and toddler products such as cribs, toddler beds, high chairs and strollers must be shipped with product registration cards as a requirement of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The program is intended to enhance recall rates by making it easier for manufacturers to contact consumers in the event of a recall. The law also allows consumers to register their products online .
 
We believe that these new requirements for the juvenile product industry will only help improve the consumer response rate to recalls. Currently, the response rate ranges from 10 to 30 percent for most children’s products, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  But recalls on child safety seats, which have required product registration cards for many years, have a significantly higher response rate.
 
Direct contact with consumers who have purchased a product that later gets recalled is the best way to get unsafe items out of homes. Too often the recalls go unnoticed, leaving children in danger. The new rule will help families get the word—but only if they have sent in their information.
 
“Most recalled products remain in consumers’ homes and in use for too long after the recall because consumers never heard about the recall,” said Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger, which along with Consumers Union supports the action. “This new measure will allow consumers who purchased or own the product to get accurate news of a recall quickly, along with the information they need to comply with the recall.”

—Don Mays