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LATCH For Car Seats - Shouldn't all new 2003 cars have them???



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 8th 03, 10:34 PM
Cheryl S.
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Default LATCH For Car Seats - Shouldn't all new 2003 cars have them???

Marc wrote in message
...
I've seen numerous references to the LATCH system being safer.
Though I don't know whether that is because the seat is more
directly attached for better crash protection or reduction in the
occurrence of the seat being misinstalled.


I recently had my two year old's carseat checked at the fire station,
and asked about the LATCH system, since my new car has anchors but our
carseats do not have LATCH tethers. The inspector told me there is
nothing safer about a carseat installed with LATCH than with the car's
seatbelts. The only advantage to LATCH is that it is supposed to be
easier to use, thereby increasing the likelihood that the carseat is
correctly installed. IOW, comparing two *correctly* installed carseats,
LATCH does not provide any increase in safety over using the seatbelts.
He said that there have even been situations where he could get a more
secure installation with the seatbelt than with the LATCH system. So, I
would say, even if you have LATCH, you're not guaranteed the best
possible installation. It still depends on your particular seat-car
combination.
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 3 mo.
And a boy, EDD 4.Sept

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.


  #2  
Old July 9th 03, 12:29 AM
Matthew S. Staben
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Default LATCH For Car Seats - Shouldn't all new 2003 cars have them???

(P.J. Hartman) wrote in message . com...
(Paula) wrote in message . com...
One of the big surprises I had was that not ALL 2003 vehicles come
equipped with the new LATCH system.


I've got the opposite. My '02 vehicle has LATCH, but the child seats
I own are both pre-LATCH. There hasn't been a compelling reason for
me to replace them with LATCH-able seats. When I do replace one of
them with a booster, it'll likely by LATCH-able.

Just because a seat or vehicle isn't equipped for LATCH does not mean
that you cannot securely fix the seat in the vehicle.


I bought a pre-latch Evenflo Medallion that did have tether, and then
purchased separately a LATCH belt made also by Evenflo. The belt
loops through a portion of the seat and it works for almost all
Evenflo models (they are listed on the box). While purchasing the
belt, I saw another brand -- Graco maybe.

The way I see it, if your car seat has a large area beneath the
seating area that can have a belt loop through, you can buy one of
these kits at Toys R Us or on the 'net. The evenflo strap is merely a
long strap (plenty to cover contingencies) with two hooks on the end
that can be tightened down and once on, you never have to take it off.

I'd encourage you to buy one (at Toys R Us) and try it out on your
LATCH equipped car; if it works you win, otherwise get a refund. They
cost about $25.00, but that's $25.00 less wear & tear on your
seatbelt.

Matt
  #3  
Old July 9th 03, 06:06 PM
Ricardo
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Default LATCH For Car Seats - Shouldn't all new 2003 cars have them???

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 15:40:23 GMT, Brandon Sommerville
wrote:

Are you a moron? If not, you can buy any car and attach an infant seat.
The LATCH system is supposed to make the seats moron-proof, but I
suspect the morons will figure out some way to do it wrong.


That's what the LATCH system is *supposed* to do. Unfortunately it
doesn't work out that way all the time.


Same old same old: rubber padded world, better idiots, the usual.

--
ricardo, ex-euroslav vancouver bc canada
e-mail: remove spamfreezone to reply
for liability purposes: I *always* obey the law.
'89 grand am le, garaged; '91 mx6 gt
 




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