IT IS NOT SAFE TO PUT A CAR SEAT ON TOP OF A SHOPPING CART
I myself have tried this once in the Target parking lot with my mom when Caleb was 7 days old. I felt like the carseat was going to slip off if I turned a corner too fast. I ended up putting the carseat inside the grocery cart and piled my Target goods on top of Caleb's lap. Also not super safe. That was the day I vowed never to take my car seat into a grocery store because of how much of a hassle it was. Now, I wear him into every grocery store or if he is sleeping I will occasionally use my stroller and place my items inside a reusable bag. However, every time I go grocery shopping I see multiple car seats on top of shopping carts. I didn't realize the grave danger that this poses until a few moms posted about the topic in a Facebook group I follow. I started researching this issue more and would love to share how you can be a part of saving babies lives!
Why it is Unsafe to Place A Child in an Car Seat on Top of a Shopping Cart
-Car seat manuals have *WARNING* signs telling parents to never put their cart on top of a shopping cart
-Carts themselves have a warning on them telling parents it is unsafe to put a car seat on top of the cart.
-The carseat may slip off the cart
-Falls can be fatal. A 3 month old died in 2011 from falling off the cart in a parking lot.
-Clipping a car seat onto a cart using a click system can cause the seat to malfunction in a crash and doing this will void the warranty of a car seat.
-The child safety restraints found on a shopping cart are intended to restrain a child who is sitting in the shopping cart, not an infant car seat.
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| A picture I took at my local Sprouts. Notice the far right image warning telling parents NOT to place their car seat on the shopping cart |
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| Inside a car seat manual you will find this warning |
-Shopping carts bump often in crowded areas.
-You typically need both hands to push a cart and grab food items, reducing your reaction time to catch a falling cart or car seat
-If a parent turns away for a few seconds to look at an item their eyes are not on their child
-You have 20+ lbs an entire 4 feet off the ground on a slippery surface on wheels. Think back to Physics class for just a moment if this sounds like a stable situation...
-Babies make unpredictable movements and may cause the center of gravity of their carseat to change quickly
-Nothing you’re going to buy at Costco, Target, Trader Joe's or Sprouts is worth risking your child falling off the cart face first.
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| Does this look safe to you? |
Solutions for moms:
-Wear your baby in an infant carrier that has proper hip positioning. The only outward facing compatible ones I have found are the Ergo 360 and the ones mentioned in this blog post.
-If possible, leave your baby at home with another adult while you go shopping
-Bring another adult to the store with you to watch your children in the car
-Use a stroller that is compatible with your car seat and carry a hand basket or reusable bag to place your items inside. Do NOT place items on top of your baby or on top of their stroller
-Carry your baby in your arms inside the store and ask one of the store associates to help you shop. Inform them that your need them to push a cart or hold your hand basket while you grab your items.
-Use Amazon.com as much as possible!
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| Auntie hope modeling the best way to get around town |
-Do NOT place your own child in a shopping cart while they are in their infant carrier
-Forward this blog post to any parent you know who might not be aware of this information
-If you see a parent with their child in the car seat on top of a cart, kindly inform them that it is not a safe way to shop with their infant. A good way to say this would be "You probably have no idea about this, but it is really unsafe to place your child in their car seat on top of the shopping cart. I know you care about the safety of your baby, so let me show you the warning sign on the cart" Flip up your cart to the warning sign and show them. You have no control if they listen to you or not. How would you feel if you witnessed a shopping cart accident and didn't speak up?
-Ask to speak with the store manager of stores you frequent and tell them about how unsafe it is for their customers to place car seats on top of the cart while they shop. Put in a request for the store to have infant compatible shopping carts available to customers. Also put in a request for employees to inform parents about the risks when they see parents who are not complying with their shopping cart warnings.
Further information:
Video of a lucky baby who someone caught falling
News Report: Shopping Cart Injuries are on the Rise
A recent report states that 66 children are treated daily for shopping cart related injuries
Video of a Wal-Mart cart and a falling car seat test
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