Three Britax Stroller Models Recalled for Unsafe Hinges | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC), in conjunction with Health Canada and Britax, have issued a recall of the Britax B-Agile, B-Agile Double, and BOB Motion strollers due to risk of partial fingertip amputations.

It is discovered that the stroller’s folding mechanism causes fingertip amputations and severe lacerations. The hinge on the stroller also has the ability to break fingertips when pressing the release button while pulling the release strap.

Over 200,000 strollers have been recalled in the U.S. alone.

USCPSC reports that strollers were manufactured between March 2011 and June 2013 in colors black, red, kiwi, sandstone, navy, and orange. The following model numbers are affected:

  • B-Agile Strollers: U341763, U341764, U341782 and U341783
  • B-Agile Double Strollers: U361818 and U361819
  • BOB Motion Strollers: U391820, U391821 and U391822

The model number and manufacture date are located on the inside of the stroller’s metal frame near the right rear wheel.

Britax has received eight incident reports. A partial fingertip amputation, a broken finger, and severe finger lacerations have been reported while trying to use the product. No children have been injured.

USCPC says that consumers should stop using the recalled strollers right away and contact Britax to receive a free repair kit.

A USCPSC report shows that about 12,300 injuries occurred from stroller/carriage accidents in 2012, all of which required treatment from emergency medical care. From 2008-2010, 3 deaths occurred from stroller/carriage accidents.

Maclaren strollers have had similar issues with their product recently. The company recalled more than 1 million of its umbrella strollers in the U.S. after 12 reports of fingertip amputations, and one instance in which a child lost a finger from putting it into a hinge. But these strollers are not the only products that pose safety hazards.

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) issued a fair warning about many strollers which have the ability to pinch and severely injure toddler fingers. GHRI recommends that stroller hinges, the primary culprit, have enough space for a pencil (about the size of a toddler’s finger) to move freely at all points during stroller adjustment.  Finally, always make sure that children are out of the way when expanding or collapsing a stroller to reduce the risk of injury.