The Fundamentals
How Your Car Seat Fits in the Car
3b - LATCH (please read)
Most current child safety seat models with a harness can be installed in the vehicle using either of two methods. One method (and the one that has been used since child safety seat use began) is to use the vehicle's seat belts. The other is L.A.T.C.H which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. In Europe it is known as ISOFix and LUAS (Lower Universal Anchorage System) in Canada. Neither system is "safer" than the other when used correctly. In most cases, if both the vehicle and child safety seat are LATCH-equipped, then LATCH is easier to use (but not always). If either the vehicle and/or child safety seat are not LATCH-equipped, then the vehicle seat belt must be used to install the child safety seat. Under no circumstances is it okay to use both the LATCH system and the vehicle's seat belt system to install a child safety seat; you can only use one or the other. While LATCH is designed to be a "universal" system, vehicles differ, as do child safety seats. Because of this you should always consult both the child safety seat's manual as well as the vehicle's manual.
The most common LATCH-related mistake is attempting to install in a seating location that is not LATCH equipped. Not all seat locations are compatible with LATCH. Currently many vehicles don't allow LATCH in the center seat. Before installing a LATCH-equipped child safety seat in your vehicle, consult with the vehicle's owner's manual.
As of September 2002 all child safety seats and vehicles sold in the US are required to be compatible with LATCH. If the child safety seat and/or vehicle are older than 2002 check with the respective owner's manual's to determine if LATCH can be used. Since September 2000, all child safety seats were required to be LATCH equipped; in concordance with this ruling, some vehicle models were phased into this system.
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