Recalls Of Children's Products Declining, But Safety Advocates Warn Parents To Be Vigilant
(CBS) -- There's good news about the safety of children's products, but experts say parents need to get more involved in safety efforts, reports WBBM's Cisco Cotto.
The number of recalls for kids products dropped to its lowest levels in a decade and injuries also dropped significantly. Nancy Cowles with the non-profit Kids in Danger says an update in federal law should get significant credit.
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Among other things, it requires manufacturers to include a postcard with every children's item. Parents can fill it out so they're told about recalls. Cowles said they have to make it easy to spot.
"The card cannot be like stuck in the instruction booklet somewhere it literally has to be taped on the face of the product so you have to handle it before you can get to the product," Cowles said.
The challenge is getting parents to fill it out. Some don't want to give out their information because of privacy concerns. Cowles said federal law is clear that information cannot be used to sell you something.
Jordan Durrett with Kids in Danger says actually getting the items out of the hands of kids is a challenge.
"Overall, only 14 percent of 2013 recalled children's products were reported destroyed or fixed," she said.
She also said few companies use their social media accounts to alert parents to recalls.
