More than 60,000 child car restraints are being recalled after testing found them likely to fail in a collision and cause serious injuries.
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has called for all anchor kits and brackets supplied by Hemco Industries to be immediately removed from cars after failing an independent safety test.
“The ACCC is urging consumers to check vehicles for the affected anchor bracket, regardless of the brand of car seat or capsule that they use,” ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said.
The anchor kits and brackets - generally used in station wagons, four-wheel drives, hatchbacks and older model cars - have been supplied by Ballarat company Hemco since April to major car seat brands Tomy Australia, IGC Dorel and Como Baby.
The bracket connects the car-seat strap to the car anchorage bolt. If the anchor bracket fails in the event of a collision, the performance of the car restraint may be reduced, increasing the risk of injury to the child.
Hemco general manager Graeme Holt said he was surprised the bracket had not passed the test.
"We have been supplying the part for over 10 years and have never had any trouble," Mr Holt said.
"The bracket component passed all [of] our regular tests. We're trying to get it fixed as quickly as we can."
Affected units can be identified by the batch number, which has been stamped on the product. The relevant batch numbers are 022 and 023. No other batch numbers are affected by the recall.
For more information go to recalls.gov.au