Anti-abandon seats: manufacturers do not accept devices of other brands. Safety certification is at risk

The chaos that has arisen following the Decree on the compulsory abandonment of seats (or devices) for children under the age of 4 does not stop. Two days later there are several problems that are present and that also concern the approval of the seats themselves.

The Government hastened to make the compulsory child seats operative but, you know, haste is always a bad adviser and so it was also in this case.

Families, under severe penalties, must hurry to buy devices that comply with many problems and that practically do not exist (or do not exist for everyone).

Among the many facets of the issue, which we have already discussed in several articles, today we focus on two points in particular:

1) There are not enough devices on the market for all the families that need them
2) The car seat companies consider only their accessories and devices approved

The first point is clear: in the warehouses there are no devices ready for everyone (consider that in Italy there are about 1.8 million children under the age of 4)

The second point needs some more explanation: basically it is not possible to buy an anti-abandon sensor of a brand different from that of your seat in that, in this case, the seat itself loses its approval. A problem also from the point of view of insurances that could be used in the event of an accident.

Virtually all brands these days are releasing statements like this from Peg Perego:

"The anti-abandonment devices could interfere with the safety of the car seat in the event of an accident". So the company "cannot assume any responsibility for the behavior of its anti-abandon device with a car seat of another brand".

The same specifies Inglesina, who created the Ally Pad, the only product "certified for Inglesina seats", and which also assumes no responsibility in case it is used on different seats. The same for Foppapedretti and for all the others.

In practice, no child car seat company assumes responsibility for the use of another person's product and vice versa. And if you install a different brand device, the safety approval of the seat is automatically lost which is modified and therefore, in the event of an accident, the manufacturer would no longer be responsible for any damage.

Then the situation for those who have to buy is further complicated and, among other things, the devices of the brands of the various seats are practically impossible to find on the market.

On the basis of this logic it would seem that devices such as Remmy and Tippy and others, which we also have recommended to you as having a certificate of conformity with respect to the last Ministerial Decree, would not be applicable on any child seat and therefore could even be withdrawn from the market.

In the meantime, the issue also begins to be ironic and could only be otherwise!

Now the chaos is total!

Given the situation, an amendment is expected as soon as possible to extend the entry into force of the Decree and consequently the possible sanctions. In the meantime we hope that the necessary clarity is made!

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Francesca Biagioli