Buying a stroller is no walk in the park. It’s among the biggest ticket items you’ll buy when you’re gearing up for your new baby. Prices can range from $19.98 for a bare-bones Cosco umbrella stroller to $1999 for the Bugaboo Cameleon3 Avenue stroller—limited edition – and more! And, like car seats, there’s a lot from which to choose.  That’s why it can be so tempting and exciting to short circuit the selection process and just buy a gently used stroller for $20 to $30 or so at a tag/garage sale, on Facebook, eBay and Craig’s List and other places where used baby stuff is sold. Done!

But here’s the (wheel) deal…

New federal (mandatory) stroller and carriage safety standards go into effect after September 10, 2015. Read on to find out why these safety updates should steer you in a new direction.

The New Stroller Safety Standards — The Gist

After September 10, 2015, all strollers and carriages manufactured or imported to the U.S. must be built, tested and labeled to minimize issues with:

–Hinges that can pinch, cut, or amputate fingers (yes—amputate)!

–Seat belts that allow children to unfasten or escape

–Latch/lock mechanism failures

–Parking brake failures

–Seat belts that allow children to unfasten or escape

–Broken and detached wheels

Plus additional safety improvements that address stroller and carriage stability and structural integrity.

These new stroller standards were enacted for a reason. From January 2008 through June June 2013, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) received about 1,300 safety-related reports for children 4 years and younger that involved strollers. Sadly, those safety reports included four stroller-related deaths, 14 hospitalizations and nearly 391 injuries. A total of 70 of those injuries were moderate or severe, such as head injuries, lacerations requiring stitches, tooth extractions, fractures, and partial amputations of fingers. From a stroller? Yeah, it happened.

Many stroller and carriage manufacturers are likely already on board and meet the new stroller safety standards already. They’ve had over a year to prepare. But if you’re considering buying a used stroller or even just borrowing someone else’s older model, I’d definitely think twice. If you buy/borrow a used one now, there’s a good chance it’s an out-of-date model that doesn’t have the latest, September 10, 2015, safety updates. Pre 9/10/15 strollers and carriages don’t need to be tested the way they do (by law) after 9/10/15. Every safety tweak can make a big difference.

For more information on September 2015’s new stroller safety standards, this video can help:

Meanwhile, here’s another reason not to buy a used stroller

You could buy a recalled model. Get this: Only 30 percent of consumers do the right thing when a baby product is recalled, whether it’s, for example, to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer for a refund or a fix, according to the CPSC. That means that 70 percent of potentially dangerous baby products are still out there. It’s against the law to sell recalled products at yard sales. Still, defective baby gear can unintentionally lurk in the secondary market, undetected.

Consider: In November 2014, Graco recalled 11 models of strollers due to fingertip amputation hazards, which amounted to 4.7 million units sold in the U.S. The remedy was to contact Graco for a free repair kit. Still, if the CPSC is correct in its estimate, over 3.2 million of those recalled Graco strollers may still be out there, unrepaired, just waiting for someone like you to snatch them up at a tag sale.

Safer Strolling

All told, there’s never been a better time to buy a new stroller or carriage. You know you’ll be buying a stroller that complies with the latest safety standards and you’ll know it hasn’t been recalled.
To keep your baby safe no matter which stroller you buy, there’s more. Be sure to buckle up your baby every time you use it and never leave your baby alone in the stroller, even for a minute. Babies can climb and fall out of their stroller. Falling is another major cause of stroller injuries.

Register your new stroller with the manufacturer too, as soon as you bring it home or receive it so you can be easily notified in case of a recall (they can still happen, despite the new stroller safety standards). Some manufacturers even offer incentives. Register any Bugaboo stroller, such as the Bugaboo Bee3, the Bugaboo Buffalo Escape Complete, the Bugaboo Cameleon3, the Bugaboo Donkey Complete Twin stroller, the Bugaboo Runner, the Bugaboo Donkey Duo extension set and the Bugaboo Bee3 bassinet online within three months of purchasing it with Bugaboo, and you’ll get a 3-warranty instead of the standard 2 years.

There’s also an app, Slice, which will notify you if anything you’ve bought is ever recalled. To use the app, create an account. When you buy a stroller or whatever, ask for an e-mail receipt at checkout (gmail works best with this app). Slice will scan your receipt and match it with the U.S. Government’s recall system, then notify you if/when the product you’ve purchased is recalled.