To the Editor: In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of highly mobile three-wheel strollers that facilitate parental activities such as jogging. Unfortunately, the very design feature that enables fast transit over uneven ground also makes it possible for unsupervised strollers to move rapidly into situations that may be highly dangerous.

Within the past year in South Australia there have been two separate incidents where infants, one aged 5 months and the other aged 10 months, died after being immersed in the Torrens River. They had both been strapped into three-wheel strollers. In both instances, carers, who had been walking or jogging in the park along the banks of the river, were momentarily distracted — one by a mobile phone call and the other while attempting to use a plastic bag dispenser. The strollers had not had their front wheels locked or their brakes engaged, or been attached to the carers by wrist straps and so were unrestrained, enabling them to roll rapidly forwards into the water. Police re-enactments confirmed the scenarios described by the carers.

While three-wheel strollers have safety features, such as brakes and sometimes wrist straps, these are not always used. Although consumer organisations have listed a series of recommendations for users of these strollers, this advice is not always being followed. The recommendations include never leaving a child unattended in one of these strollers, always using a wrist safety strap, always engaging the brake when stationary, and locking the front wheel when jogging to prevent swivelling. In addition, specific warnings are issued about stopping on slopes, being distracted by mobile phone calls, and being particularly careful near water, roads and railway lines.1

Drowning of infants and toddlers in rivers is an uncommon event, with only two cases documented of a total 32 drowning deaths of children under the age of 2 years in South Australia over the 35 years from 1963 to 1998 (rate, 6.25%).2 Thus, the occurrence of two drowning deaths within 4 months associated with three-wheel stroller use in parks next to a river is of concern.

While mandatory requirements for safety devices such as parking brakes and tether straps will take effect on 1 July 2008,3 this legislation will have little effect if the devices are not used. Parents and carers must be made aware that infants or toddlers in three-wheel strollers near water are at risk of immersion and drowning. Such warnings should be clearly specified on these products.