Children’s car seat costing $600 is urgently recalled after catastrophically failing a crash test

An expensive children’s car booster seat has been recalled after it failed a safety trial, ejecting a crash test dummy that would have killed a real child instantly.

The $629 Joie I-Travvel car seat, sold across Australia, ‘catastrophically’ failed when in ISOfix forward-facing mode.

Joie issued a voluntary recall on Thursday for model numbers C1209BANOR-600 and C1209BATBK600 purchased since February 2019. 

‘Joie advises that consumers should immediately stop using the product and return it to its place of purchase for an exchange, credit or refund,’ Joie told Daily Mail Australia in an emailed statement.

Safety consortium, the Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP), said it was the first time in their 28-year history of testing that a dummy had been completely ejected.   

The spectacular crash test dummy fail of the $629 Joie I-Travvel Car Seat

Forward-facing mode is the setting recommended for children aged between six months and four years, while rear-facing is for babies aged under six months.

ISOfix is an alternative method to seatbelts for securing a child safety seat. 

The CREP described it as a ‘catastrophic performance failure’.  

The test result was so bad the safety group overhauled its test protocol so that it could give a zero rating, CREP said in a statement.

The tests show the clips holding the ‘child’ failed as the ‘child’ pitches forward on impact in a crash at 56km/h.

The ‘child’ then flies in a mid-air somersault out of the chair. 

NRMA road safety expert Dimitra Vlahomitros warned parents of the device’s failure in forward-facing mode, saying the booster seat had been on the market since April.   

Joie has issued a voluntary recall for Joie I-Travvel car seat (pictured) model numbers C1209BANOR-600 and C1209BATBK600 purchased since February 2019 

The ISOfix system failed on the Joie I-Travvel car seat in safety trials

SAFETY TIPS WHEN BUYING A CAR SEAT FOR YOUR BABY: 

* Go to childcarseats.com.au to check the crash rating and compare restraints

* If you intend buying a seat your child can use as they get older, ensure they offer good levels of protection across the different modes   

* Have it professionally installed

* Ask the installer to show you how to do it yourself in case it needs to be moved from car to car

* Beware of second hand seats: make sure you know its full history; check the manufacturer’s sticker to make sure it is less than 10 years old; don’t use the seat if straps or harness are frayed; and check for any obvious signs of wear or tear

* Check the child restraint laws here  

 Source: NRMA

‘A child restraint that doesn’t restrain a dummy just doesn’t cut it. These tests demonstrate once again that not all car seats are created equal and the manufacturer needs to lift its game,’ Ms Vlahomitros said.

‘This is the first time a restraint failed to the extent that the dummy was ejected. Choosing the correct child seat could be a lifesaving decision so it is critical parents make their purchase based on performance and ease of use rather than price or aesthetics.’

Joie Baby, a brand originating in the UK, boasts numerous awards on its website for its carseats including from Mother&Baby in 2016.

However, it is not the first time safety has been an issue for the company.

In November 2019, three baby capsule products had to be recalled for a top tether strap that was weak and could release under excessive load.

The recall was for the Joie i-Gemm infant capsule and base, both stand-alone and as part of the Joie Litetrax 4 Travel System, and also for the base as a separate module. 

The Joie I-Travvel car seat was also tested when secured by a seatbelt.

It scored just one star out of a possible five in the same forward-facing mode although this time the dummy ‘child’ wasn’t ejected, CREP said.

When the seat was tested in rear-facing mode it scored the second highest rating of four stars out of five. 

The CREP program tests car seats at 56km/h, to find out how they will perform in a real-world crash.  

Chief marketing officer Jerry Ingraham said the product had drawn their attention to the difference between CREP testing standards and Australian standards.

‘While our product meets all Australian standards, we were shocked and saddened by the performance of our product under CREP testing conditions,’ he said.  

Car seats are tested at 49km/h, a full 10km/h slower than CREP standards, to meet Australian standards.

The NRMA announced its test results for six child restraints on Tuesday.

The restraints were tested in seven modes and scored on safety and ease of use. Not one restraint scored five stars; only two car seats scored four stars. 

Kidsafe NSW executive officer Christine Erskine urged manufacturers to ensure their products provide a high level of safety in all its modes, and meet community expectations. 

For full safety results of all the seats tested, go to www.childcarseats.com.au 

For information on how to get a refund on their recalled Joie car seat, call the Joie helpline on 02 8197 9962, seven days per week, from 8am to 4pm. 

 

 

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