Scary stuff!
Mum Hannah McKinney ia warning other parents about the dangers of car seat accessories after her two-month-old was nearly killed in an accident.
McKinney from Georgia, posted the warning to Facebook, along with details of the accident in a bid to stop parents from using seatbelt covers.
"These were on my 2 month old daughters car seat when she was involved in a flip over car accident," she wrote in the now viral post. "The vehicle cart wheeled twice and rested on its side, she was ejected from the seat due to the sheep skin seat belt covers."
Prior to the incident, McKinney had checked that the straps were safely secured.
"When we got to the vehicle all straps were tight and in tact plus car seat still in base still attached to seat but with the force of the vehicle the sheep skin slid against her shirt and made her go flying out."
She implored parents to avoid these deceptively soft seatbelt covers as not only are they unsafe, but they void the warranty of the car seat.
"Please please please people DO NOT put things on a car seat that did not come that way from the manufacturer. Plus anything on a car seat in a accident voids the warranty!
"They may look cute and it may be soft but for your child’s safety don’t do it."
Since the accident the parents took a car seat safety class to make sure that they are prepared in the event of another accident.
Speaking to The Huffington Post, Jan James, CEO of Good Egg Safety, said the warning is an important one for parents.
“This is an alarming story which could have had catastrophic consequences for Hannah’s baby. The bottom line is we don’t recommend parents use any after market products on a child car seat unless they have been fully tested and approved by the child seat manufacturer or have robust independent testing data to demonstrate their safety and compatibility with the seat they’re to be used with.
“They may look nice and comfy but they could jeopardise children’s in-car safety, so it’s vital to check first. A loose harness is also something we regularly see at our car seat checks and this cannot be discounted as a possible causation factor in this instance.”
When it comes to child car seat safety- don't risk it.
