Video: Woman claims mirror caused baby’s car seat to burn
CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) – The video shows a car seat with smoke coming from it in the back seat. A Cedar Park mother posted it on Facebook on Jan. 23 trying to warn other parents.
“This is my baby’s car seat smoking because there is a mirror on the back of the seat so I can see her,” said the mom. “I just took her out of the seat and smelled smoke and saw the smoke coming up. And this is caused by the sun’s reflection into the car seat.”
In pictures, you can see holes in the car seat fabric. The mom says she’s used mirrors with her other kids and never seen anything like this. She posted on Facebook that the car seat brand was Britax and the mirror Eddie Bauer.
Both companies told 24-hour News 8’s sister station KXAN they are aware of what happened. In a statement, a Britax spokesperson said, “Direct sunlight reflecting off shiny objects in a car can be dangerous. The federal government requires all car seats and the interior of vehicles to meet flame retardant standards. In this incident, the flame retardants in the car seat did their job.”
The statement goes on to say,”As always, parents and caregivers should exercise caution when using any after-market car seat accessories, including back seat mirrors. All back seat mirrors should be installed correctly, securely attached and mounted to the vehicle head restraint. Incorrect installation can result in injury if the mirror becomes a projectile in a crash.”
Eddie Bauer’s licensee and manufacturer of the Dual Facing Mirror is Goldbug. A spokesperson with the company said in a statement, “Goldbug has a long history of producing quality products that help parents safely care for their children.”
The statement also said,”Goldbug and Eddie Bauer have not received complaints or been made aware of an issue like this in the past.”
The spokesperson pointed out that a warning is attached to the product reading, “Impact hazard, attach securely. Possible entanglement, strangulation, injury when not attached as instructed. Periodically verify that the mirror is properly secured to headrest. Be aware of reflected sunlight and bright lights on children’s eyes. Please keep out of direct sunlight for long periods of time. Never attach to crib or play yard. This product is not a toy. Do not allow children to play with this product. When not in use, keep out of reach of children. Adult assembly required.”
The mom says she was rushing home and she’s grateful her baby wasn’t in the seat.
“Thank God! I made a two-second stop and found this before something happened.” The mother told KXAN that she did immediately get a new car seat from the company.