For those car shoppers without small children, the 'LATCH' feature listed on the safety equipment roster of many vehicles is often overlooked. LATCH is an acronym that stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. It's a sort of universal standard for mounting a child-seat into a vehicle. If you're a new parent or grandparent, it's something you should know about.
All passenger vehicle models sold from September 2002 onward have the LATCH system on board- and most child-seats manufactured from that date were built to be LATCH compatible, too. Note that LATCH may also be referred to as 'ISOFIX' or 'CANFIX', depending on the literature you're reading.
With LATCH, the child-seat mounts to a set of universal anchorage points built into the vehicle's interior. You can see anchorage points where the seat cushion and seatback meet in the rear- in the same place where food crumbs and loose change tend to gather. You'll also find mounting points on the rear window shelf of your sedan or the load floor of your station wagon. These are usually identified by a sticker or badge with an anchor symbol on it.
In an older vehicle without LATCH, the standard seatbelt can usually be used to fix a newer child-seat in place. Some older vehicle models can be retrofitted with the LATCH system, too. Check with your dealership to be sure.
LATCH exists simply to enhance convenience and safety around the installation of a child-seat without the need to use the vehicle's grown-up seatbelts. If your car or SUV has it, you'll likely find it fitted to the outboard rear seats- not the middle one. To be sure, check your owner's manual.
You'll also need to consult with it to install your child-seat properly. Read the literature in both your owner's manual and the instructions for the seat before getting started. Prepared to spend a little time to do it properly- as many folks report that installing a child-seat can be a time consuming process- LATCH or not.
Once the seat is installed and ready to be used, all straps must be routed through the appropriate slots, and the shoulder straps must be snug. Note that using both the seatbelt system and LATCH system to attach the same seat isn't necessarily a good idea.
Proper seat installation is absolutely vital to your child or grandchild's safety. A child-seat can reduce the chances of injury or death in a crash by up to 70 percent, but some 80 percent of them aren't installed correctly. Your municipality may offer a child-seat check program that can determine whether things are attached properly or not.
 |
All passenger vehicle models sold from September 2002 onward have the LATCH system on board- and most child-seats manufactured from that date were built to be LATCH compatible, too. Note that LATCH may also be referred to as 'ISOFIX' or 'CANFIX', depending on the literature you're reading.
With LATCH, the child-seat mounts to a set of universal anchorage points built into the vehicle's interior. You can see anchorage points where the seat cushion and seatback meet in the rear- in the same place where food crumbs and loose change tend to gather. You'll also find mounting points on the rear window shelf of your sedan or the load floor of your station wagon. These are usually identified by a sticker or badge with an anchor symbol on it.
In an older vehicle without LATCH, the standard seatbelt can usually be used to fix a newer child-seat in place. Some older vehicle models can be retrofitted with the LATCH system, too. Check with your dealership to be sure.
LATCH exists simply to enhance convenience and safety around the installation of a child-seat without the need to use the vehicle's grown-up seatbelts. If your car or SUV has it, you'll likely find it fitted to the outboard rear seats- not the middle one. To be sure, check your owner's manual.
You'll also need to consult with it to install your child-seat properly. Read the literature in both your owner's manual and the instructions for the seat before getting started. Prepared to spend a little time to do it properly- as many folks report that installing a child-seat can be a time consuming process- LATCH or not.
Once the seat is installed and ready to be used, all straps must be routed through the appropriate slots, and the shoulder straps must be snug. Note that using both the seatbelt system and LATCH system to attach the same seat isn't necessarily a good idea.
Proper seat installation is absolutely vital to your child or grandchild's safety. A child-seat can reduce the chances of injury or death in a crash by up to 70 percent, but some 80 percent of them aren't installed correctly. Your municipality may offer a child-seat check program that can determine whether things are attached properly or not.
 |