Government of Canada acts to keep children safe

For immediate release
August 5, 2009

Transport Canada is advising the public of potential safety issues with the Designer 22 infant restraint systems under the brand names of Cosco, Eddie Bauer, Safety 1st and Quinny. Although the seat meets the mandatory safety standards, research testing that went beyond existing standards has shown that, when used with the base, the seat may separate from the base or the base may crack during a severe frontal collision.

To avoid the possibility of a seat-from-base separation, Transport Canada highly recommends that seat owners follow the manufacturer's "without base" method of installing the infant seat in the vehicle, as described on page 28 of Dorel's manual. This is done using the vehicle seat belt, according to the manufacturer's instructions. As always, particular attention should be paid to the manufacturer's instructions.

The Designer 22 is a rear-facing infant car seat, designed to be used in a vehicle with or without a detachable base. The name of manufacturer, the date of manufacture, the model name and the model number can be seen on the label on the bottom of the infant seat. Transport Canada, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the manufacturer and the importer are not aware of any real-world occurrences involving seat-from-base separation.

Transport Minister John Baird has instructed officials to fully review the current safety standards for protecting children in car seats during a crash. Departmental policy has been revised to ensure that the results of all research testing, including video and analysis, will be available on the Transport Canada website. Further actions will be identified where appropriate, and all necessary steps taken to keep children as safe as possible.

Consumers who may be missing their instruction manual may call Dorel Distribution Canada's helpline at 1-866-556-0029 to request a replacement copy. Consumers should not return the affected units to a retailer.

This notice affects approximately 260,000 units manufactured between January 1, 2001 and March 19, 2009. A Consumer Information Notice was issued by Transport Canada on August 5, 2009, and further information on the issue can be found on Transport Canada's website at: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/notices/menu.htm
or call us at 1-877-505-2223.

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