Maclaren buggy warning over 'lost fingers'

[1canshort]

ALL pushchaires are dangerous. They ALL have a very similar scissor mechanism.

Common sence p l e a s e

[cushy1900]

Spot on, just as car, cupboard, oven and anything can be dangerous given carelessness and sheer bad luck..

I really think this company should be left alone, they have done nothing wrong.

[locouk]

@ cushy1900: Maclaren have done nothing wrong? So why did they issue hinge covers in the US but initially refuse to do so in the UK? In the US you'd get sued for farting in the wrong company, people in the UK are not so mercenary. It's all about minimizing risk, hence some people are not allowed to drive cars etc.. When is the last time you saw a 5 yr old using the oven whilst the parent got on with something else? Honestly, if brains were dynamite you couldn't blow the legs off a fly!

[cushy1900]

The oven thing, umm, imagine you or you wife in the kitchen, you are cooking something, its hot and the kids are mucking about, running around all over the place.

You want to open it, do you allow them freedom of expression or be a total zealot and throw them out, physically at times in my case!!

As for issuing hinge covers you answered the question your self and they and we wonder why everything is Made in China.

All this safety thing has gone too far!!

[locouk]

The thing is though, these buggys are made for children to come into contact with. They make doors for young children too, they call them stair gates, with correctly spaced bars and safe hinges. If something is made for children, all possible precautions should be taken to make sure it is 99.9% safe as possible,Ie, plastic scissors. Yes, some parents are stupid, and these company's now should do all they can to cover their butts, even if that dose mean a global recall!

[cushy1900]

The only contact they should have with it is sitting in it.

As I've used this type of pushchair many times it takes human force to expand and collapse it, it's not like a mousetrap. OK the issuing of this hinge guards issued may in future help the future stupid parents. Mind you would they know how to fit it?

Yes stair gates do have their hinges protected because the child is free to move about around it and open it, my kids had no trouble, I had to fit a bike lock to it.

[locouk]

At the end of the day, denying the problem didn't exist in the UK, and saying it was only an American recall was stupid on Maclaren's part, considering the buggy's have identical hinges. Maclaren have "Seen the light" now which is a good thing, awareness has been raised to those who choose not to protect their hinge mechanisms and Maclaren have covered their butts.. Eventually! Yes, things are too PC, I agree but it's a sign of the times. As for the recall being " a load of rubbish", I disagree

[cushy1900]

What a load of rubbish this recall is.

I've have three children all have been in this type of pushchair.

I've had them all throwing temper tantrums, jumping up at me or being awkward, whilst I was totally knackered and I can't believe how any parent could possibly let this happen.

I joked to my youngest today if only I'd known, you wouldn't have any fingers left. She was a terror!

[trashspamgmail]

@cushy1900: Is it a total load of rubbish? How? A known design problem that is mutilating childrens fingers - where is the rubbish in that? This is not about a possible issue - and the different treatment of different consumers. I see nothing funny bout it at all.

[cushy1900]

Nice to see you seem more worried about missing out on a free add on.

The problem is only possible whilst folding, when is this likely to happen.

Geting into the car, yes that's possbile but as a lousy parent they're already strapped in, often after many minutes, tens of minutes sometimes. I could of had my pushchair nicked, wished I'd left them running

around in the road now, they're not cheap..

All other times if they were not asleep they were long gone. Usually terrorising Mum.

[GeoAnimism]

You know what gets me about this. the same parents have doors in their house, I wonder if they are going to complain and have them recalled when their unwatched child walks in to one, or plays with the hinge.

[trashspamgmail]

@GeoAnimism: Again, you have failed to understand the issue. The door hinge doesn't have an acknowledged design fault. Yes, it could cause injury - but that is not because the design is known to be at fault. This is different with Maclaren buggies - the design is known to be faulty, and this acknowledgement is being countered by providing free safety kits to consumers - but only in the more litigious US. Not the UK.

[GeoAnimism]

@trashspamgmail: Isn't it the parents responsibility to look after their children. I agree more could have been done in the design phase, but what parent would leave their child in the buggy when closing it.. if you don't want to run the risk of your child loosing a finger, make a mod yourself, it would take less time than it has taken me to write this out. Or now this is the important part be a responsible parent buy something else

[locouk]

@ GeoAnimism: A responsible parent when alone with their child will ask the child to hold onto the buggy whilst the parent is having to use both hands to fold it. Would you let your child out of sight in a busy car park or street? Maclaren are at fault, and today they have relented and will issue hinge covers from 13/11/2009 to UK customers.

Under no circumstances can you blame the parent for poor design.

[cushy1900]

You could try putting them into the car and strapping them in first..

Dear, oh, dear, oh dear!!!!

[ilovepenguinz]

There is no need for a recall of the buggies, If the children are watched, a finger will not get caught in that part.Although if they are giving out free parts for a safer pram surely they should do that here in the U.K?

I dont own a Maclaren, but I have just been given one for two weeks as a courtesy buggy whilst my silvercross goes in for repairs, and I will be using it,and to be honest it says on the side WARNING: childs safety is YOUR responsibility

[trashspamgmail]

@ilovepenguinz: You need to read the detail. Maclaren are not recalling the buggies. They are sending free safety kits to parents only in the US only. Yes, child safety is a parents responsibility - again not the issue. There is a known safety problem with the a range of the buggies - it is not about child safety being a parental responsibility - it is about a stroller not having an inherent safety problem that is mutilating children by removing the tops of their fingers.

[ilovepenguinz]

Actually Maclaren are giving out the parts to anyone, as it says on Facebook under Maclaren Baby.And the buggies have nothing wrong with them, These incidents seemed to have happened when the buggy was being opened.I feel very sorry for the parents that this happened to,and the poor babies. I was simply saying there was no reason for the buggys to be deemed unsafe as they are not, its just a case of being careful.

[GeoAnimism]

its not a design fault, its the parents.

[trashspamgmail]

@GeoAnimism; this is incorrect. It is a design problem hence the issue of free safety kits - to parents in the US only.

[GeoAnimism]

@

trashspamgmail: Its a hinge, what did they think would happen?

[Gaummom]

This is a ridiculous recall. Should everything in the world with hinges be recalled, like car doors? How many people hurt themselves on a car door? Just watch your child!

[trashspamgmail]

@Gaummom: It is not about watching your child. Read the details. It is about a product being fit for purpose - not one with an inherent safety problem that mutilates childrens fingers. And it is about corporate responsibility - Maclaren are failing UK parents whilst afraid of a class action in the US. So hence the US response with none in the UK - for exactly the same product.

[trashspamgmail]

It is now acknowledged in the US that a range of Maclaren strollers are unsafe. And to address this, free safety kits are being provided to all owners. These are the same models that are sold in the UK. Are Maclaren more worried about a litigious US consumer who may join together for a class action? Or are UK fingers just cheaper than US ones? Just one accident to any child anywhere is an issue these are children.

[petev23]

Could not agree with you more...there is no recall for these strollers in the UK or Hong Kong. It's sad that us Americans are so lawsuit happy. A kids safety is important regardless of which country that they live in.