Watch your fingers

It seems like nearly everyone I know has a mangled finger, a remnant of a sibling accidentally slamming the car door on it. Well, how would you like it if your child got his or her finger lopped off by a stroller? Apparently that’s what happened to a dozen children, and it has prompted the stroller manufacturer, Maclaren USA Inc., to recall about 1 million strollers in the United States.

The strollers in question are the umbrella strollers that have been sold since 1999. Over the past decade a dozen children have had their fingertips sliced off by the stroller’s side hinges. Since the problem seemed to be getting worse rather than better, Maclaren chose to recall the strollers and to provide covers for the side hinges. Models affected include the Volo and the Techno XT.

If you have a Maclaren stroller, check the company’s web site to see if your model is included in the recall. If it is, stop using the stroller and contact the company to get the protective covers.

This was posted on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 and is filed in the Public Safety categories.