How do I get rid of the car seat that I no longer use because it has expired or been in a road accident?

When we buy everything necessary for the care and safety of our children, the car seat is an indispensable element. As we know, we must choose it according to your weight and size needs, making sure it is the most suitable option for him.

But just as we take the time to buy it, we must also be responsible when the time has come to say goodbye. We tell you what steps you should follow to get rid of a car seat that has already expired or been in a road accident.

All car seats have a limited lifetime

Before proceeding to share the steps you must take when you get rid of it, we must explain why it is important that you are a responsible owner and get rid of it correctly in case it has expired or been in a road accident.

Some time ago we share the danger of using second-hand car seats and the reasons why it is not recommended to buy them in that state or reuse them, among which the two reasons we discussed in this article stood out: the expiration date and the possible damages that it may have.

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Like many other products, car seats or child restraint systems (SRI) are made with materials that are degraded and may become brittle over time, or that may be affected in unusual situations, such as a collision or traffic accident.

On different occasions we have commented that car seats have an expiration date, as they age or deteriorate with use, the passing of the years and the climatic conditions:

  • Sunlight and changes in temperature (heat in summer, cold in winter) can deteriorate the plastic material of the chairs, causing internal cracks and deformations.
  • The harnesses or fastening straps are worn away with the friction caused by frequent use, as well as the tension received during braking and acceleration.

According to Mapfre Foundation, most manufacturers recommend change of seat from 6 years from the date of purchase or 10 years from the date of manufacture, which must be clearly specified in the labeling that by regulation must be attached to its structure.

Although for most of the chairs you can extend your usage time up to that number of years, It is important to pay attention to possible signs of external deterioration, such as wear on harnesses or rusty parts, such as buckles, as these could open or break during an accident.

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But in addition to the expiration date, there are other reasons why it is necessary to replace the car seat. One of them is if it was involved in a traffic collision or accident. In these cases, Mapfre Foundation indicates that the recommendation is replace the chair in case of an accident with an impact speed exceeding 10-20 km / h.

Now that we understand why chairs have a limited lifetime, as responsible owners we must ensure that a chair that is possibly defective or expired does not fall into the hands of someone else.

How to get rid of an expired or damaged car seat

Since the lifetime of the car seat is safe and secure, we must proceed to dispose of it correctly. For this, there are several options, from which we can choose the one that best suits us or that we have at our disposal.

The first, and recommendation of the Mapfre Foundation, is take it to a clean or recycling point in your city and deliver it there, so that they are responsible for continuing with the disposal process.

The second option is investigate if there is a hospital, foundation or association to donate for educational purposes. Some places like these teach road safety classes and can help them show parents and families the correct use of child restraint systems.

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And the third option, in case you don't have a recycling point that receives them as such or a place to donate for educational purposes, is disassemble the car seat ourselves to make sure it cannot be used. To do this, we must do the following steps:

  1. Cut and remove the harnesses and fastening straps with a razor, as well as the chair cover.
  2. Detach all parts that can be removed or separated.
  3. Separate all materials according to their type (plastic, fabric, metal, foam, etc.)
  4. Write with indelible marker "Caduco / Not sure" on the chair structure after having removed everything.
  5. Dispose of all parts separately, and take materials that can be reprocessed or recycled, such as plastic and metal, to recycling centers.

In countries like the United States and Canada, there are recycling programs for car seats, in order to help protect the environment, give a second life to some of the components and ensure that other children do not travel in chairs that are no longer safe.

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Following these steps, we can make sure it is not used as a second-hand product by another family, as we have mentioned, its effectiveness and safety have been compromised and would put the lives of children who use it at risk.

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Video: Did you know child car seats expire? (March 2024).