Stroller Safety

The invention of the stroller has served to make the lives of parents a little easier. There is no doubt that they are handy, useful items but they can also be dangerous if not used properly.

I have seen several parents have accidents involving strollers. Just last week, a young girl's six-month-old baby rolled off the front porch in the stroller. The mother ran in the house for just a moment to grab her keys and didn't lock the brake on the stroller. In that brief few seconds the stroller rolled off the porch and tipped over. Luckily the baby wasn't injured.

We must remember to never leave a baby unattended, not even for a few seconds. It only takes a second for an accident to occur. One day as I was walking to the store I saw another mother have an incident with a stroller. The stroller tipped over as she stepped from the curb. Once again, luckily the baby did not get injured. As I assisted I sympathized with the young mother since I knew how she was feeling. I had experienced a similar incident myself.

When my daughter was a few months old, I was walking home from the store and as I stepped off the curb with the stroller I didn't realize there was a dip in the road. I stepped into the rut and the stroller tipped over. My baby daughter was not injured but I broke my ankle. Unfortunately this type of incident involving a stroller is quite common.

We must be cautious and use stroller safety. It is always best to follow the manufacturer's instructions when purchasing any item. If it appears that any piece is missing or not functioning properly return the item immediately and get a replacement. Don't take chances with defective merchandise. It is not often that people purchase a defective item but it can and does happen sometimes. It's best to be cautious and make sure the item is in proper working order.