Press Release Oct. 20, 1997	Contact: Rana Arons, 914-378-2434 Consumers Union Yonkers Office

SAFETY NEWS FROM CONSUMER REPORTS

Edible toys, hazardous products, and General Motors brake investigation
are some of the topics covered in the November issue

YONKERS, NY – Not all products are safe, despite tremendous progress in product safety seen by Consumer Reports over the past six decades. The magazine’s November issue looks at several safety topics that affect children and motorists – and gives some practical advice on dealing with potentially dangerous products and how you can report them to the Government.

Toy Safety Alert. Edible or candy-covered toys have never been a good idea. Two recent toys/sweets have again raised the issue. Candy Blox, a colorful and edible building-block set contains 151 pieces, in seven fruity flavors. They look strikingly similar to inedible Lego, which you don’t want in a child’s mouth. Candy Blox are sold in bulk in candy stores, with no age labeling. They’re also sold in buckets ($3.99), with a label that says they’re for ages three and up. But it’s a confusing message for kids of all ages that there are some toys you can eat , and some you can’t. That’s especially true for younger children.

The Nestle Magic chocolate ball, $1.29, is a foil wrapped chocolate shell, surrounding a plastic ball, which opens to reveal a Disney toy inside. Four of the 24 toys tested just barely passed the Government’s small-parts choke test, which measures if a toy is a choking hazard for children under three years. On October 1, the Nestle candy company withdrew the product from sale.

Auto Safety. Over the past several years, more than 9000 owners of GMC and Chevrolet pickups and sport-utility vehicles have complained that their antilock brakes failed; 2401 crashes have been reported. Complaints show some brakes locked up; some took too long to stop; still others had "pedal to floor" brake failure. Neither the Government, General Motors Corp., nor the brake manufacturer has pinpointed the cause, despite ongoing investigations. In 1994, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating antilock brakes in GMC S-Series pickups, which include Chevy S-10 and GMC Sonoma pickups, and Chevy Blazer, Oldsmobile Bravada, and GMC Jimmy sport-utility vehicles, made from 1991 to 1994. In 1995, NHTSA began investigating the antilock brakes in GMC and Chevy Suburban sport-utility vehicles made from 1992 to 1995. Some 2.2 million of these vehicles are on the road. If you have problems, see a dealer and file a complaint through NHTSA’s auto-safety hot line, 800 424-9393, or through the agency’s Web site, www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

How to report hazardous products. To encourage more people to report potentially dangerous appliances, tools, electronics equipment, toys, clothing, and furniture, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is making it easier to file complaints. You can now phone 800 638-2772, press "1" when the introductory message begins, and then press "777." A person will take your complaint between 8:30 AM and 5 PM Eastern time. If you call at other times, you’ll be asked to leave your name and number on a recording, and a hot-line representative will call you back. Have all the facts in front of you before calling. This includes the brand, model, and age of the product; where you bought it; the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor; and details about accidents or problems. If you have Internet access, you can file complaints electronically at the CPSC’s Web site, www.cpsc.gov. Click on the "Talk to us" menu. Don’t worry if some information is missing.

Also in the November FrontLines, you’ll learn how to buy a wristwatch; why rock ‘n’ roll concert tickets can be a rip-off; whether you need the latest high-tech gizmo, the global positioning system (GPS), to find out where on earth you are; and a report on low-odor paints – they may not smell, but others are better and cheaper.

The November issue of Consumer Reports will be available October 28, wherever magazines are sold. For information on subscribing, call 1-800-234-1645.