features
National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration Announces New Child Restraint
System
New child safety seats must attach to cars in a special way..
Beginning
Sept. 1, 2002, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will require new child safety
seats to have a specialized way of attaching to a vehicle seat. Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) is a restraint system designed
to work independently of the vehicle seat belt system to simplify
child safety seat installation and reduce misuse.
Since Sept. 1, 2000, all vehicle manufacturers have been required
to install a top tether anchor in their vehicles. In addition, vehicle
manufacturers were required to begin installing lower anchors in at
least two rear seating positions in nearly all new passenger vehicles.
All new passenger vehicles manufactured after Sept. 1, 2002 will have
the LATCH system. Also beginning Sept. 1, 2002, most child safety
seats will be required to have a lower set of attachments that fasten
to these vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats also
have a top strap (top tether) that attaches to a tether anchor in
the vehicle. Together, they make up the LATCH system.
"LATCH is
an important innovation in child restraint and vehicle design. Used
properly the system is expected to save up to 50 lives a year and
prevent close to 3,000 injuries in a crash. This new technology will
help us move forward in our effort to further reduce death and injury
among our youngest passengers," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey
W. Runge, MD.
NHTSA estimates
that as many as 80 percent of child safety seats are incorrectly used.
The agency also estimates that the LATCH system will eliminate as
much as half of the misuse associated with the improper installation
of child safety seats.
Child safety
seats without LATCH technology are still effective in protecting children--as
long as they are correctly installed in accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions.
"The LATCH
restraint system will make child restraints easier to use, simpler
and more secure," said Dr. Runge. "It will be easier for
parents to do the right thing to protect their children."
Although the
LATCH system will help resolve installation misuse, parents and drivers
must still be sure to:
Place their children
in an appropriate safety seat. Make sure that the child is the appropriate
height, weight and/or age for the child safety seat.
Place children
in the backseat. The backseat is the safest place for children.
Never place a
rear-facing child restraint in the front seat with an air bag.
Install the child
safety seat properly in the vehicle.
Check that the
child safety seat harness straps are tight.
Place children
in a booster seat once they reach 40 pounds.
Not prematurely
move children to an adult seat belt system. Children should continue
to ride in a booster seat in the back seat if they are under 4 feet,
9 inches tall.
Stay informed
as to whether their child safety seat has been recalled.
Consumers can have their child passenger safety questions answered
by calling NHTSA's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. More information
about the LATCH child safety seat system is also available on NHTSA's
web site at www.nhtsa.gov. To
arrange a child safety seat inspection, visit www.seatcheck.org
or call 1-866-SEATCHECK.
Your
should know:
The
information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes
only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical
advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose
or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your
pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any
questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's
condition.
Rebornne Baby. American Baby
