The Department of Transportation is fining the manufacturer of 4 million baby car seats that locked children in place $10 million, officials with the agency said on Friday.
The car seats, made by Philadelphia-based Graco, were recalled last year when they were found to have faulty buckles.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said it was important for federal regulators to send a message about the importance of auto safety, especially when the youngest passengers are involved.
{mosads}“Parents need to know that the seats they trust to protect their children are safe, and that when there’s a problem, the manufacturer will meet its obligations to fix the defect quickly,” Foxx said in a statement. “Today’s action reinforces that responsibility in a way that will make our kids safer for decades to come.”
The Transportation Department has come under fire its handling of problems at auto companies like General Motors and airbag manufacturer Takata when massive recalls were announced last year. The Graco recall was announced shortly after air bag concerns arose, contributing to the sense the agency was insufficiently performing its watchdog functions.
Under the fines that were announced on Friday, Graco will have to pay $3 million immediately and then pay another $7 million in five years unless the company spends the same amount on boosting child seat safety.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) chief Mark Rosekind said the fine shows the transportation department is serious about safety.
“Today’s action uses NHTSA’s enforcement authority to not only hold a manufacturer accountable, but to keep our kids safe,” Rosekind said in a statement. “It’s another example of our commitment to use every tool available to save lives on our highways, and to use those tools in an innovative and more effective way.”