More parents unknowingly buying counterfeit child car seats

Houston - Car accidents are the leading cause of child injuries and death.  But more parents are unknowingly taking an extra risk by strapping their kids into counterfeit car seats.

Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians with Safe Kids and Texas Children's Hospital say counterfeit seats haven't been through the required federal safety certification process.

"In some cases, we’ll have a car seat like this Doona here, that is missing the Doona labels. It is a counterfeit car seat," said Nicole Peake, a Certified Child Passenger Safety Instructor.

CPS Technicians like Peake say when they're inspecting infant and child car seats, they're finding more counterfeits, bought by unsuspecting parents.

"A lot of technicians are starting to see a lot of counterfeit seats, or seats you just can’t use in the United States due to them not meeting the Federal Motor Vehicle standards," explained Peake.

Inspectors say the lower-priced knockoffs are often sold on social media sites, or through third-party sellers on sites like Temu, AliExpress, eBay, Amazon, or Walmart.  

"In a crash, this car seat may not absorb those crash forces like it’s supposed to, and it could put extra pressure and force on that child," said Peake.

Here's how to spot a counterfeit. Peake says certified seats should have labels on them, written in English and Spanish, that say, "This restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards."

And there should be a manufacturer's sticker on the seat as well.  

"You’ll have a model number, the date of manufacture," Peake showed us on a label.

She says a certified seat will also have straps and a chest clip.

"Some may not have a chest clip. In the U.S., they'll have a chest clip," said Peake.

Peake says you don't want to use a secondhand seat because you don't know if it has been compromised in a crash.

Instead, she says check the American Academy of Pediatrics' list of certified seats before buying one. Once you purchase a seat, send the registration card to the manufacturer, or sign up on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration site to receive any recall notices.  

You can also get a free seat inspection, said Peake, "to check the car seat to make sure it’s installed correctly, and it is an approved car seat."

Learn more from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.