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Car seat safety tip
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As you may know I recently took my first road trip with my new baby. Since I don't own a car (yet) the information I am about to provide you with I did not know. Many of you are probably familiar with what I am about to tell you but for those new mommies out there like me, here goes.
Please remember I am not a professional, so I may use layman's terms, but keep in mind that I did get professional advice.
Like many all-in-one or 'travel systems' our infant carrier connects to a car seat base and becomes a car seat. As I'm sure you know, the safest place for the infant carrier car seat (or any car seat as far as I can tell) is in the middle of the back seat, not on the sides. Sides are an option, but are considered a tad less safe than the middle. The sides also make use of the passenger seat belt which can be awkward.
The latch method is considered the safest method to attach the car seat to the middle of the back seat of the car rather than with the safety belt from a side seat. Interestingly enough, and this is the important point I was surprised to learn and wanted to share with you, the latches in most cars that are pre-2008 are NOT designed to be used with a car seat in the middle of the back seat of the car.
If you look at the instruction manual of your infant carrier/car seat you will note it says to place the car seat (or base, or what have you) in the middle of the back seat of the car and to use both latches when securing the base to the back seat.
If you look at the latches in the back seat of your car you may notice that they are TOO FAR APART to be used to secure the car seat base in the middle.
If you look at the owner's manual for the car in the infant safety/securing car seats section you will most likely note that it says the car latches in the back seat are NOT DESIGNED TO BE USED WITH THE INFANT CARRIER IN THE MIDDLE, which as we've established is the safest place for the car seat.
So what you have is two different industries supplying products that are supposed to go together but don't. Cars are not designed to be used with the car seat bases and vice versa.
My aunt, whose job--seriously--is child safety--checked out my car seat base, etc., at my request in order to ensure my son was the safest he could be during our road trip. She was impressed with how tightly I managed to get the base of the car seat secured. I was proud of myself for that, because step number two for safety with car seats (after placing the car seat in the MIDDLE of the backseat) is to ensure that the seat is as tightly secured as possible.
She then took a look at the owner's manual for the car we rented, a 2008 Ford Escape, expecting to find the conflicting information. She was positively surprised to find out that the 2008 model for this particular vehicle WAS designed with the two latches in the appropriate place in the back seat for use with the car seat in the middle.
Thank goodness!
It certainly has given me pause when considering whether to buy a new or used vehicle. I would guess--although I do not know this--that cars like Volvos, which have always been considered safe and have had high safety ratings might not have the latches in the wrong place. I could be wrong about that, but if you have experience with this please let me know.
We are looking in to getting a car but don't know that we can afford one. That said, you can bet your bottom dollar that where my son's safety is concerned money is no object. If I need to get a new vehicle to ensure my son can properly be latched in the middle of the back seat then so be it.
Just so you know I am NOT promoting the Ford Escape (although it was a nice ride). We just happened to rent that kind of car and it just happened to meet with my aunt's professional approval. And it was a 2008. Each year safety features are updated and added to cars, so I think we really just lucked out on this one.
Any thoughts on or experiences with this? I really am considering getting a car and I want to ensure I make the safest choice possible for the kiddo.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
7-13-2007 @ 12:24PM
A said...My car is a 2003 model year (bought in Summer 2002) and it allows latch in the middle seat.
My guess is every car/model year is slightly different.
About the only thing you can do is read the manual of your potential buy.... even the new cars.
Reply
7-13-2007 @ 1:26PM
Rob said...I have a 200 Pontiac Vibe with all four latches in the LATCH system. I thought that the system became industry standard in 2002.
Looks like September of 2002 -
http://www.car-safety.org/latchfaq.html
Reply
7-13-2007 @ 2:48PM
Marieke in Amsterdam said..."(...) the latches in most cars that are pre-2008 are NOT designed to be used with a car seat in the middle of the back seat of the car."
Although I know we're a couple of hours ahead of you, I'm pretty sure it's not 2008 in Amsterdam yet.
I guess ALL cars driving around at this point are pre-2008. In NL most people have dedicated car seats for their infants: much safer than those all-in-one seats that have to be secured every time you enter the car.
And eventhough I'm sure the safest way to take your kid in a car is in the middle: there's more than one child in this household and my back is killing me already from lifting them in and out.
Reply
7-13-2007 @ 1:16PM
Anthony said...Yeah, I'm not too sure about the accuracy of that comment either. We've installed our car seat in a number of different vehicles -- all of them pre-2008 -- and they've all had middle-seat LATCH systems. You can tell that they're middle-seat because there will seem to be two hooks -- one for the outside seat and one for the middle seat -- on each side. This has included our Saturn, my parent's Hyundai, and sundry taxis as well. Mind you, these have all been cars in Canada ... maybe the regulations are different?
-Anthony
Reply
7-13-2007 @ 2:36PM
Amanda said...I drive an '06 Equinox and I have latch for THREE car seats in my back seat! good because I have two car seats back there. the only problem I could forsee is, there is no room for a third car seat! Well, you could cram one in there but it would be uncomfortable. so, if and when we have our third baby, hopefully the eldest will be old enough to ride without a booster so we can jam her uncomfortablly inbetween the two youngest :)
Reply
7-13-2007 @ 3:11PM
metaDAD said...Not sure if people realize this but if you ever have any question about the way you child's car seat is hooked up you can drive to you nearest police precinct and have a cop check it out. My wife has done this in the past when our oldest was an infant and it gave her and her mother complete piece of mind to know it was latched and strapped properly.
Reply
7-13-2007 @ 3:28PM
Anthony said...Actually, in thinking about this a bit more, all the vehicles I've seen with centre LATCH systems have been either SUVs or full-size cars. I bet mid-size and compacts with their smaller rear seats don't have enough room for 3 LATCH systems.
In fact, going to the previously linked faq (http://www.car-safety.org/latchfaq.html) I see the following two Q&A:
"...
5Q. Why aren't LATCH lower anchors provided for the rear center seat?
A. Two pairs of LATCH lower anchors are required in the back seat of vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2002, and those anchors are required to be a specified distance apart for safety protection in a crash. Because of this required spacing between the lower anchorages, most vehicles do not have a rear seat that is wide enough to accommodate anchorages in the center seating position and in an adjacent outboard position. While lower anchorages are typically installed at outboard seating positions, most vehicles that have a center rear seating position without lower anchors also provide a top tether for additional safety benefit.
6Q. Can I use the two inboard lower anchors (of the outboard LATCH seating positions) to install my child seat in the rear center seating position?
A. No, unless both the child restraint manufacturer's instructions and the vehicle owner's manual specifically state that this is acceptable. A child restraint can be installed using the rear-center seat belt and, if forward-facing, the top tether anchor.
..."
So, I think that whether you have a centre LATCH depends entirely on the width of the back seat.
A>
Reply
7-14-2007 @ 7:50AM
Kat said...Our 05 Odyssey has center seat latch in the last row and then of course the 2 captains chairs-one of which can be pushed over....not center but as close as it can get.
Off the latch subject....(the pic with this story reminded me of this) car seat straps need to be tight!! I like to say snug as a hug. The straps in the pic are WAY to loose and not safe at all. Also the chest clip needs to be armpit level at all times. It seems like a lot of people fail to realize the importance of this.
Reply
7-14-2007 @ 1:14AM
Angela said...My '02 Honda Accord DOES NOT have LATCH in the middle seat. It has LATCH in both of the side seats. This isn't really a problem for me, because I drive two children around all day and it is just about impossible to fit two seats side by side in the back seat.
I am also fairly certain that my mom's '04 Volvo S40 doesn't have a middle LATCH. But, as I am not near her car at this moment I can't check.
Reply
7-14-2007 @ 3:49PM
Jennifer Jordan said...Kat--good point about the armpit height for the straps. We did make that adjustment after meeting with my aunt. She double checked the tightness though and said it was very secure. (???)
Reply
8-16-2007 @ 8:58AM
Miller said...OK, we have a 2007 Toyota Highlander and I installed the seat very tightly using the LATCH in the middle. When we took it to a professional they said despite the comfort and the tightness the latches we used were only for the side seats. Wht wouldn't we be able to use those if they weren't far apart and if the seat fits nicely. Now we have to chose a seatbelt they couldn't get tight or a side latch. It doesn't make sense.
Reply
10-09-2007 @ 7:52PM
david hoffman said...and before you purchase and install your car seat, it is best to check with the child restraint required for the state you live in.
http://www.childseatcenter.com/article10.html
Reply