Approximately 25,000 children per year experience serious injuries and even death from falling out of shopping carts in the United States. And while some voluntary standards for shopping carts were put in place in 2004, the fact that the number of injuries per year has gone up—not down—is a sign that a serious problem still exists.
Luckily, there are a few alternatives and safety precautions that can easily help prevent shopping cart injuries. Here, we provide a collection of tips that cover a variety of ways to keep your kids safe from injury.
- Find a way to make sure your child never gets in a shopping cart.
Obviously, the best way to avoid injuries is to keep your children completely away from a shopping cart. You can do that by:
- Bringing a second adult with you who can watch your child while you shop.
- Leaving your child at home with a babysitter.
- Using a stroller, backpack, or carrier to carry your child.
- Shopping online whenever possible.
- Use safer shopping carts created for children.
Some stores will provide shopping carts that look like big toy vehicles with a seat lower to the ground. Those carts are much safer than the metal carts with the seats high up off the ground. Plus, your child will often have more fun and be more comfortable in a toy shopping cart.
- Follow all safety precautions for placing your child in a traditional shopping cart.
If you absolutely must use a traditional shopping cart for your child, then make sure you follow all safety precautions. That includes:
- Never leave your child alone in a cart—not even for a quick second to grab something down an aisle.
- Make sure your child wears any safety belt provided on the shopping cart.
- Place your child’s legs through the openings in the shopping cart seat.
- Never let your children stand up in the cart.
- Never let your children push the cart—especially with another child in the seat.
- Prevent your kids from fooling around on the cart (such as riding on the outside).
If your child has been injured in a shopping cart accident, then there is a possibility that the store or product manufacturer was liable in some way. Collect all of your medical documentation and call us for a free consultation.
