ADAC crash tests expose dangerous flaws in two child car seats, prompting recall
ADAC’s high-speed impact test revealed critical safety failures in Britax Römer and Axkid child seats, leading to a sales halt for the Axkid model and warnings to parents.
ADAC applied a rigorous 50 km/h frontal impact test, derived from Euro NCAP standards, to two popular child car seats sold in the Czech market. The Britax Römer Baby Safe Pro combined with the Vario Base 5Z base let its safety-belt latch open when the seat was tilted for sleeping, propelling the test dummy into the cabin. The Axkid Minikid Core failed a side-lying test, with its backrest detaching and the belt latch snapping out of its plastic shell, sending the dummy upward.
Axkid responded by suspending sales and recalling the product, offering owners a free exchange for the higher-spec Minikid Pro 4. ADAC experts, including Steffan Kerbl, recommend that current Britax owners use the seat only in an upright position or discontinue use. Prices for the Britax system reach roughly 15 000 CZK, while the Axkid model costs about 10 500 CZK, underscoring that higher price does not guarantee safety. Parents are urged to contact manufacturers or importers for remedial solutions.
Why it matters
Faulty child seats can endanger children in crashes, and recalls affect many families buying them.
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