Why can't you buy or sell a used child car seat?

We have lots of carseats in our household, the inevitable result of having three little kids who have overlapped carseat needs at different times. I look at the ones we don't need any more, and they're basically in perfect condition. A bit dirty, but structurally they're perfect.

So why can't we sell them legally?

Maybe it's just an oft-repeated myth that's become accepted as law, but when we talk to local charities about donating car seats, we're told that they can't accept them because the carseats might be damaged or have structural flaws.

Huh?

Look at even the cheapest carseat on the market and you'll instantly see that it's basically one big piece of injection molded plastic with some buckles, clips, a seatbelt and a cloth cover. So what could go wrong?

That is, if there was...

Continue reading about used carseats / car seats / child safety seats at The Attachment Parenting Blog.