Parade aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Toys are supposed to be fun, but sometimes, they fall a bit short in the safety department. These days, products typically undergo extensive testing before their release to ensure that manufacturers aren’t unleashing dangerous toys into homes across the country. However, safety standards weren’t always so robust in the past.
As part of our Parade Rewind series over the last few months, we’ve been recapping some of the most influential toys of the 20th century, decade by decade. We’ve also explored a few toys from different decades that would be considered too dangerous now. Today, we’re taking a look back at a 1950s outdoor toy that was responsible for thousands of emergency room visits, but stayed on shelves for three decades.
We’re talking about lawn darts, one of the most well-known dangerous toys from the 1950s. Whether you grew up playing with lawn darts (also known as Jarts) or you’ve simply heard stories about lawn darts emergency room visits, the toys are pretty notorious.
If you’ve ever wondered about lawn darts history, you’ve come to the right place. We consulted Christopher Byrne, aka The Toy Guy, to learn more about Jarts lawn darts and the looming question on everyone’s mind: Why were lawn darts banned?
Related: 25 Popular Toys Every Kid Wanted in the 1990s
The Forbidden Yard Game: What Were Lawn Darts or Jarts?
Lawn darts made their debut in the late 1950s. The popular lawn game was sold under several brand names, but none were as famous as Jarts.
The game featured 12-inch-long, heavy metal-tipped spikes that were meant to be thrown into plastic target rings on the grass. The spikes would dig into the earth, so you’d know where they landed.
“Several companies made them in different configurations,” Byrne, a toy analyst, researcher and consultant, tells Parade. “Some were more hefty and heavy (the ones that caused injuries). Others were lighter and more like a sized-up version of traditional darts.”The sale of lawn darts is currently banned in the United States and Canada, per the CBC.
The Shocking ER Statistics: Why Lawn Darts Were So Dangerous
What was meant to be a fun outdoor game quickly proved to be quite dangerous.
“Lawn darts were dangerous because, like so many toys, they were used incorrectly. They were not designed to be thrown at people, and kids who got in the way of the flying dart were likely to be injured,” Byrne explains.
In 1988, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that an estimated 670 lawn dart injuries were treated each year in U.S. hospital emergency rooms.
“Three quarters of the injured are under 15 years old,” the post read.
In 1990, the National Library of Medicine reported that the people injured ranged in age from 1 to 18 years old and were “predominantly male.”
“The most common sites of injury were head (54%), eye (17%), and face (11%). Hospitalization was required for 54% (41/76) of these patients. Sequelae included unilateral blindness and brain damage. The case fatality rate was 4%,” the post read.
Related: The 2 Most Popular Toys of Every Decade from the 1930s On, According to a Collector
The Loophole: How a Lethal Toy Stayed on Shelves for 3 Decades
If lawn darts were so dangerous, why did they remain on store shelves for three decades? It’s a complicated story, to say the least.
“Because they were originally sold as a sporting goods item, they bypassed many of the safety measures that would have applied to toys,” Byrne states.
Per the CPSC, the sale of lawn darts was banned in toy stores and toy departments in 1970. However, they were still sold for adult use in sporting goods stores and departments. In those cases, they had to include the following label on the front of the package: “WARNING: Not a toy for use by children. May cause serious or fatal injury. Read instructions carefully. Keep out of reach of children.”
In 1988, an episode of 60 Minutes reported on the dangerous toys. Reporter Diane Sawyer spoke with the man who was responsible for enforcing regulations on lawn darts: CPSC Chairman Terrence Scanlon. During the interview, Scanlon said “current compliance is good” but noted that it “was not good” a year beforehand.
60 Minutes discovered that a third of retailers violated the compliance rules in 1987 and continued selling lawn darts with toys. The show also reported that the CPSC published a report saying all 14 dart manufacturers violated requirements on the warning labels. While visiting stores, 60 Minutes learned that some store managers and retail workers weren’t even aware of the rules.
Related: 25 Popular Toys Every Kid Wanted in the 1960s
The Crusade of David Snow: The 1988 Unconditional Ban
David Snow holds a lawn dart similar to one that killed his 7-year-old daughter Michelle, in 1987 in Riverside, CA.Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images
A California man named David Snow is known for leading the efforts to ban lawn darts after the tragic death of his 7-year-old daughter, Michelle.
In 1987, a stray lawn dart hit Snow’s daughter in the head while she was playing outside. She died three days later, per The New York Times. From there, he was determined to prevent other fatal injuries.
Snow took several trips to Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to ban lawn darts for good. It took quite some time, but he was eventually successful. In October 1988, the CPSC voted to ban lawn darts, effective December 1988.
While announcing the ban, the CPSC noted that it had records of three deaths associated with lawn darts since 1970. At the time, the organization said lawn darts were associated with “an estimated 700 hospital emergency room treated injuries each year.”
Per The New York Times, the ban did not include a recall of darts that were previously purchased.
Related: 7 Inventions That Failed Spectacularly
Is It Illegal To Own or Sell Original Lawn Darts Today?
In 1997, a 7-year-old boy experienced a brain injury after a lawn dart pierced his skull, prompting the CPSC to issue a press release titled, “Following Recent Injury CPSC Reissues Warning: Lawn Darts Are Banned and Should Be Destroyed.”
The press release included the following message: “‘CPSC banned lawn darts in 1988, but some of these dangerous products may still be in garages, basements, or second-hand stores,’ said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. ‘Parents should destroy these banned lawn darts immediately.'”
With all this in mind, it begs the question: Are vintage lawn darts illegal to sell?
Per the 1988 ban, retailers are no longer allowed to sell original lawn darts today. Naturally, some original lawn darts are bound to exist in some homes across the country. It’s not illegal to own them in this case. However, the CPSC urges people to destroy them.
Original lawn darts are no longer made or sold in the US, but you can find the lawn toy in other forms.
“Today, lawn darts are still made, but they all have weighted plastic tips and very specific directions,” Byrne says.
Some brands even sell glow-in-the-dark varieties.
Up Next:
Related: 7 Cult-Classic ’90s Cars You Completely Forgot You Wanted
Source:
Christopher Byrne, aka The Toy Guy, is a toy analyst, researcher and consultant. Childhood lawn dart injuries. Summary of 75 patients and patient report. (1990) American Journal of Diseases of Children.Hence then, the article about this 1950s outdoor toy was responsible for thousands of emergency room visits but stayed on shelves for 3 decades was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( This 1950s Outdoor Toy Was Responsible for Thousands of Emergency Room Visits, But Stayed on Shelves for 3 Decades )
Also on site :