Interesting information regarding LATCH

[EmilytheStrange]

I wonder how much my carseat weighs. Will have to look into this.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money...tch/55452346/1

Parents of many children ages 3 and up who should still be in child-safety seats will be warned not to use a federally required child-seat attachment system when a new rule takes effect in early 2014.

Insurance Institute for Highway

Regulators are "dismantling" their own child seat rules, a safety advicate says.

The rule requires child-seat makers to tell parents not to use the lower anchors required in cars since 2001 if children and their car seats have a combined weight of 65 pounds, because the strength of the anchors cannot be guaranteed.

Child seats typically weigh 15 to 33 pounds. So the new rule means some children as light as 32 pounds might not be able to use a system designed to make child seats easier to install and, therefore, safer. This child-seat system is known as LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children).

Joseph Colella, one of five child-safety advocates who petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to change the rule, says the anchor requirements are based on old child seats and outdated recommendations on how long kids should be in child seats.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers sought the change in the rule because limits weren't factoring in how much seats weigh. Colella says carmakers aren't able to guarantee the safety of heavier kids given the strength of LATCH anchors. The alliance was not available for comment.

The advocates say the minimum strength requirements should be increased.

LATCH use and awareness are already low. A study last summer by the advocacy group Safe Kids Worldwide found child-seat checkpoint technicians were using the lower anchors to attach seats only about 30% of the time. And Safe Kids found just 30% of parents use the top tether straps, which prevent head injuries in crashes.

"Disconnecting tethers when their use is needed … could lead to a tragedy," says Stephanie Tombrello of advocacy group SafetyBeltSafe, one of the petitioners.

Colella's 3-year-old niece died in a 1994 crash in a child seat that didn't fit the car. That prompted him to push to make child seats more compatible with cars, an effort that resulted in the federal panel that recommended LATCH.

LATCH is considered easier than a safety belt to tightly secure a child seat.

"While LATCH makes it easier to properly install car seats in vehicles, it's important for parents and caregivers to know that securing a child seat with a seat belt is equally as safe — and that they have the flexibility to use either system," says Transportation Department spokeswoman Lynda Tran.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children use car seats with harnesses through age 8. AAP's recommendation and supporting research led child-seat makers to design more seats for children 65 pounds and over.

[craigwick]

Crap, I own 2 nautilus, they weigh 26 lbs, so very close to 65 when you add the kids weights. We are getting a new vehicle, and the one they are installed in currently doesn't run, so will switch to seatbelt install when we get the new one. Thanks!

[4boys1girlforme]

Great just another thing to deter extended 5 point harnessing!

Off to find out what a RA65 and Britax Frontier weighs....

[aaiya]

Originally Posted by 4boys1girlforme Great just another thing to deter extended 5 point harnessing!

Why would it deter extended harnessing? Installing with a seatbelt isn't THAT hard.

[4boys1girlforme]

Originally Posted by aaiya Why would it deter extended harnessing? Installing with a seatbelt isn't THAT hard.

Some seat/vehicle combos are harder than others to properly seat belt install.
Plus I've had LATCH vehicles so long that I've lost my seat belt install skills.

[Holly dolly]

Good to know!!! My blazer has LATCH but I have never been able to use it because the seat is too firm. I have an older Frontier and it's nearly impossible to install long-belt path so I've been using it as a booster for my 5 year-old but I felt bad about not using the 5-point...now I feel a little bit better.

[ktmelody]

I am confused.


Almost every manual for any car with latch says not to use when the child weighs more than 48 pounds anyways. So if the seat is 20 pounds and the kid is 45 you then reach the 65 pound limit.

Is this info just not well known?

[Tris]

I can't get a good install with a seat belt, it always flops around.

[mibarra]

Originally Posted by ktmelody I am confused. Almost every manual for any car with latch says not to use when the child weighs more than 48 pounds anyways. So if the seat is 20 pounds and the kid is 45 you then reach the 65 pound limit. Is this info just not well known?

That's assuming you're paying attention and know the weight of your seat. Most people probably only read the carseat manual and not the cars...

[canadianbakers]

Originally Posted by 4boys1girlforme Great just another thing to deter extended 5 point harnessing!

Originally Posted by aaiya Why would it deter extended harnessing? Installing with a seatbelt isn't THAT hard.

Originally Posted by 4boys1girlforme Some seat/vehicle combos are harder than others to properly seat belt install. Plus I've had LATCH vehicles so long that I've lost my seat belt install skills.

I've always installed all our seats (quite a few different ones) in all vehicles they've been in (quite a few different vehicles, vans, trucks, cars) and never had them be incompatible. Some combinations are more difficult than others, some require little tricks to get a good belt install, but never incompatible.

I'm glad we started out with only belt installs (no LATCH in our first vehicles) and got used to it. DH and I have both tried with it with many of our seats, and neither of us can get an install we're comfortable with with it.

Originally Posted by ktmelody Almost every manual for any car with latch says not to use when the child weighs more than 48 pounds anyways. So if the seat is 20 pounds and the kid is 45 you then reach the 65 pound limit. Is this info just not well known?

That's true, sorta. It all depended on the vehicle manufacturer what the actual LATCH weight limit was, and now it's being brought into question because of the higher weight limit seats that are available - they weigh considerably more than older seats, which is what the LATCH limits/guidelines were set for.