FDM warns against two potentially fatal car seats

FDM, a motorists’ interest organisation, is warning against buying or using two child car seats after tests found serious safety failures, DR reports.

In a frontal collision test, the buckle on the Britax Römer Baby-Safe Pro + Vario Base 5Z seat opened, throwing an 11-kilogram test dummy out of the seat. The model is intended for children up to 18 months old.

In a test of the Axkid Minikid Core, designed for older children, the support leg folded and the harness buckle tore loose from the seat shell. FDM’s car editor, Karsten Meyland Lemche, said the failures could have had fatal consequences in a real crash.

Axkid has stopped selling the seat and is offering customers an exchange for another model. Britax Römer has told FDM it will decide whether to recall the seat or take other action after identifying why the buckle came loose during testing.

FDM recommends that anyone who has bought either seat contact the retailer and try to exchange it for another model. The organisation says this is the third time in a year it has warned about serious safety defects in products for children.