– 81% of tested radio-controlled toys failed to meet EU regulations.
– Major violations occurred in transmission power and frequency ranges.
– 67% of samples came from online retailers, 33% from China.
– 63% of products had non-compliant user manuals.
– 22 sales bans were issued, with products flagged in ICSMS.
Radio Controlled Toys Failing Market Rules
Products being sold through official channels usualy must comply with regulations which are sometimes highly market specific. This applies for example to foodstuffs cars or toys. If toys operate using radio waves they must not cause interference. For journalists these requirements are sometimes very advantageous as the conformity assesments and their results provide the public with reliable information about devices not yet released.
Testing Results Show Major Failures
As part of an EU funded market surveilance campaign 88 radio controlled toys were tested accordingly. 36 out of the 50 RC vehicles tested did not comply with the regulations all 16 radio controlled boats and trains failed and 14 out of 16 walkie talkies and smart toys failed. There were deviations both in terms of the permissible transmission power and the frequency ranges in which signals were generated.
- 88 total toys tested
- 36 of 50 RC vehicles non compliant
- All 16 boats and trains failed
- 14 of 16 walkie talkies and smart toys failed
Origin of Samples and Additional Tests
The samples were collected by market surveilance authorities in 13 countries but not in Germany. 67% percent of the samples originated from online retailers and a third were manufactured in China. In addition to labratory tests for radio frequency compatibility compliance with other regulations was also examined. Specificaly the user manual must meet certain requirements. 63% of the samples failed this test. Combined with the labratory results 71 samples or a staggering 81% did not meet the various requirements. Twenty two sales bans were issued and several products were listed on the ICSMS (International Consumer Electronics Management System).