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Safe stand is important
The opportunity for a grateful additional business arises for the retailer when looking at the kickstand. The bicycle expert Dirk Zedler points out that by far most accidents with child seats do not happen during the actual ride, but when the bike is at standstill, i.e. during loading and unloading when the bike is at risk of toppling over or when the parent gets on the bike. With a child that likes to fidget around unexpectedly (that is to say all children) you should therefore be extremely careful in these moments and opt for a double-leg kickstand so that at least balancing the bike is not necessary. And even then the bike can easily topple over on uneven ground. Nevertheless, it is an absolute must due to its high practical value and can easily be retrofitted by the retailer, if necessary.
The retailer must also ensure that safety-relevant areas, like brakes, wheels as well as the lighting are not affected. Pinched lines and hoses must also be avoided. In future, when parents take their children out on the road, they will generally be happy to have their defective lighting system repaired and other safety-related problems tackled.
The luggage carrier on which the child seat is to be mounted deserves an at least equally critical look. First, it has to be checked whether it is designed to bear the load. Even if the luggage carrier is appropriate for the intended load, the retailer is well advised to also check the bolted connections. According to the latest luggage carrier standard all bolts of a luggage carrier must be secured. The retailer is therefore obliged to check the correct mounting and to replace bolted connections in doubt. In case of uncertainties as to the appropriate bolts Zedler recommends consultations with the manufacturer. It is necessary to use identical components. From the retailers’ point of view experiments and makeshift solutions have to be omitted, because in this case the retailer turns into manufacturer. If luggage carriers must be replaced completely, Zedler recommends always using the mounting tools of the luggage carrier manufacturer. Otherwise the liability is quickly transferred to the retailer. Especially with utility bikes which should be the normal case it is important to make sure that the luggage carrier is approved for this use. This is not at all a matter of course.
On closer examination, the problem with the appropriate luggage carrier is much sharper that one might assume at first sight.
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Read the entire article here.
Author: Daniel Hrkac
