Australia Introduces New Stroller Safety Laws

Canberra, Australia, July 20, 2007 — The Australian Federal Government announced this month that all strollers sold in Australia as of July 1, 2008 will be required to have a tether strap and parking breaks. The new stroller safety laws are the result of recent fatalities due to strollers rolling away from distracted parents. One case involved a local model, whose 5-month old son drowned in Adelaide's River Torrens last December when her stroller rolled away as she talked on her cell phone.

The case involved a three-wheeled stroller, a style that has become popular in recent years among health-conscious parents who want to jog with their babies. Indira Naidoo, a spokesperson for the consumer advocacy group, Choice said that the strollers are new and some are not built for higher speed activities but also that “it is very hard to speculate on what the issue was here - human error may have been a factor.”

The reactions to the legislation, although generally favorable, are mixed. Although the law requires the products to come with these safety features, the rules do not require their use. Some people question whether or not these additional precautions would have saved the lives of the children in the recent tragedies. A comment from a blogger mom pointed out that it is also dangerous to manage two children while tethered to a stroller, citing that being attached makes it difficult to corral the toddler who isn’t riding and wandering into traffic.

Interestingly, Australian safety standards for strollers surpass those of the U.S., all of whose standards are voluntary. The U.S. standards cover issues like stability, entrapment, and proper harnesses. These safety guidelines focus on potential hazards from the design of the product itself rather than risks created by behavior choices of users.

Consumers Union (www.consumersunion.org) offers the following tips for the safe use of a baby stroller:
• Use the safety belt or harness to restrain children and prevent tipping.
• Make sure the frame-locking mechanism is properly engaged to avoid collapse, and use the parking brake when stopped.
• Don't overload the stroller.
• Don't use with a child heavier than the manufacturer's weight limit
• Don't put more children in the stroller than its design allows.
• Don't hang heavy bags on stroller handles, which might cause the stroller to tip.
• Keep the child away from the stroller when you're folding and unfolding it.
• Never use a pillow, folded quilt, or blanket as a mattress in a stroller or baby carriage. (They could cause the baby to suffocate.)
• Return the stroller warranty card so can you can be notified of a recall.

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