A recent article mentioned that child crash injuries and fatalities had decreased by around 45% over the last 10 to 15 years. Authorities attribute the substantial decline in serious injuries and deaths largely to the increased usage of proper child safety restraint systems like car seats and booster seats.
But many parents still find these essential child safety devices complicated and difficult to install (because they are). If your vehicle has a LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system in the car, it is often easier to attach a car seat with the LATCH than to the seat belt system. Our Pearland car accident injury attorneys caution that LATCH systems usually aren’t in place for the middle seating position, so you will need to choose on which side of the vehicle to install the car seat.
The lower anchors on the LATCH system can be used to attach and install the car seat, while the upper tethers improve safety and stability. The upper tethers should always be used when installing forward-facing car seats, even when you’ve also attached the child’s car seat to the seat belt. The Pearland car accident injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC urge you to read the owner’s manual for your vehicle and also the manufacturer’s instructions for the car seat to learn the correct weight limits for upper tethers and lower anchors.
In vehicles with LATCH systems (which includes almost all passenger vehicles manufactured September 2002 or later), the anchors can be found in the back seat at the juncture of the seat cushions. Upper tethers are generally found behind the seat on the panel behind the seat (for sedans) or on the back of the seat, ceiling, or car floor (for SUVs, minivans, and hatchbacks). Child safety seats made in September 2002 or later will have attachments specifically designed to fasten to LATCH anchors.
If you attach your child’s safety seat to the seatbelt, you might need to use a locking clip to keep it in place. Check your vehicle owner’s manual and the manufacturer’s instructions for the car seat to be sure. You may also need to fully extend the seat belt and let it retract to ensure that the belt fits tightly around the car seat. Your car seat might have built in lock offs to lock the seat belt in place.
If you have trouble installing a child safety seat correctly, a trained child passenger safety (CPS) technician could help you. You can find CPS technicians at some car dealerships and at certain auto safety events. And the Internet is always a useful place to start these days when looking for information for your area.
And if you need help after a serious crash injury has harmed you or your child, don’t hesitate to contact the Board Certified Pearland car accident injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a free initial legal consultation at 713-807-9500 or by filling out our online contact form. You can get started finding some of the information you need about what to do after the wreck by downloading our free guide at the book icon on this web page.