LATCH : The next generation of child safety Published June 16, 2009 By Tech. Sgt. Thom Moore 21st Space Wing Safety Office PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- As a child passenger safety technician, I've had an opportunity to see many car seats in many different cars and situations. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2006, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death for children ages 2 to 14. A NHTSA study in 2006 showed 61 percent of seats installed with lower attachments were securely installed--the connectors were installed right side up, the lower attachment straps were flat and routed to the correct anchors, and the installation was tight. In the last survey before LATCH, less than 50 percent of seats installed with seat belts were securely installed. Almost every car seat and car manufactured since 2002 has the option to use LATCH, or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. The LATCH system was developed to be easier for parents and caregivers to install child restraint systems correctly. This does not mean that parents must use the LATCH system, but for some it may be easier. The first thing to do is read the owner's manuals for the car seat and the car. Some vehicles have the ability to use LATCH in one or both outboard seats and the middle seat. While the center seat is the safest place for your child's restraint system, you should not use LATCH in the center seat. if the manual does not state that LATCH can be used in the center seat. If you are a parent and you choose to use LATCH, here are a few items you should be mindful of: · Ensure you know if any side airbag will deploy and collide with the car seat. If so, it should be placed in the center seat. If LATCH is not available in the center seat, use the seat belt or contact a child passenger safety technician for assistance. · Check the seat belt to ensure the belt is flat and not twisted. This may require re-feeding the belt through the belt path. · Ensure you use the appropriate LATCH anchors. These are typically marked with a plastic button with a child and seat inside a circle. · Ensure the appropriate angle for the seat. This should be approximately 45-degrees. Some seats or seat bases have a level to find the correct angle. · Ensure the seat or base does not move more than one-inch at the belt path. Parents and caregivers should be able to push the seat with one hand and pull the LATCH belt with the other hand to get the correct tightness. If necessary, and without opposing guidance from the car seat manual, a parent may place their knee in the seat and pull the belt to get the correct tightness; however, this is not a recommended practice. The parent/caregiver should consider using the seat belt method instead of LATCH or contact a child passenger safety technician for assistance. · When using LATCH on a forward facing car seat, ensure you use the seat's tether. This is marked with a child and car seat with an anchor. This tether belt should be securely attached and tightened. · Never use the lower anchors and the seat belt to secure a car seat. Manufacturers do not test car seats to use both LATCH and seat belts. There are many different resources for more information about LATCH or child passenger safety: www.nhtsa.gov - click Child Safety Seats on the left of the page www.carseatscolorado.com www.carseatguy.org www.statefarm.com/kidsafety.htm St. Francis Medical Center offers a free child passenger safety course on the first Friday of each month; call 776-5555 to register. Memorial Hospital offers the same free course on the first Mondays of even months. Call 444-CARE to register. To speak to or schedule a time for a car seat technician to inspect your car seat, Peterson complex members may contact me at the 21st Space Wing Safety Office, 556-4392. Outside the Peterson complex, contact your local safety office or go to www.nhtsa.gov and click "Locate a Child Seat Fitting Station" on the left side of the page.