LATCH: Making child safety seat installation easier.
LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. Since it is estimated that 4 out of 5 car seats are not installed correctly, the LATCH system was developed to make it easier to correctly install child safety seats without seat belts.
All new vehicles as well as infant, convertible and forward-facing child safety seats made after September 1, 2002, are equipped with LATCH. The LATCH system consists of built-in straps and hooks on the safety seat and anchor hardware in the vehicle:
In your vehicle:
- Lower Anchors. Cars with LATCH have a minimum of two LATCH-equipped rear seating positions, each one has two small bars called "anchors". You can find these in the space between the rear seat back and seat cushion.
- Top tether anchors. These 3 anchor points (metal loops) are located on the rear shelf area in passenger cars. In other vehicles, such as minivans and SUVs, the anchor points could be on the floor, under the seat or even on the ceiling. Check your car owner's manual.
Proper location of the LATCH system
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On your child's car seat:
- Lower anchor straps. This strap has two hooks or buckles and is located at the base of the car seat.
- Top tether. The top tether strap comes from the top of the car seat and has one hook or buckle at the end.
How the LATCH system works
To use LATCH, attach the two hooks from the base of the child safety seat onto a pair of the lower anchors located in the rear seat of your car. These lower anchors make it easier than using seat belts to securely attach your child's car seat. You also need to hook the top tether strap from the car seat to its anchor point in your vehicle. This is an important step as top tethers greatly reduce the amount of dangerous forward head movement that your child could be exposed to in a crash. Pull to tighten both the straps of the lower and top attachments to secure a good fit.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that using LATCH correctly will cut the number of improperly installed child safety seats in half.
Lower attachments and lower anchors
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Installing a LATCH equipped car seat into a vehicle with the LATCH system.
Basic installation steps:
- First, read both your car owner's and child safety seat instruction manuals before starting.
- Fasten the child safety seat's lower attachments to your vehicle's lower anchors. Tighten and adjust the straps according to the car seat manual.
In order to get it to fit tightly, you may need to use your knee to press the seat down while tightening the straps.
Top tether strap and top tether anchor
Click to open a larger version of this image. - If you are using a child safety seat in the forward-facing position, attach the seat's top tether strap to the correct anchor point. Pull to tighten.
- Check to see if the seat is in tightly. You should not be able to move it more than an inch from side to side or forward when holding the seat at the belt path.
Watch our video to learn more about LATCH
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Remember:
Be sure to use both the top tether strap and the lower anchors on forward-facing seats.
Only one seat can be attached to the same anchor.
Check to be sure that your child's safety seat is attached to the LATCH anchor bars, not another part of the car seat or vehicle. Some LATCH anchors are visible and some are deeper into the space between the rear seat back and bottom cushion.
Q: Is the LATCH system safer than regular seat belts?
A: When your child's safety seat is installed and used correctly, whether with attached LATCH or a seat belt, she will be equally well-protected in a crash.
Q: Can I use my current car seat even though it doesn't have LATCH but my car does?
A: Your current non-LATCH safety seat is safe to use as long as it is correctly installed and used. Some seats can be retrofitted with LATCH attachments available from car seat makers and/or in retail stores. Be sure to get the right one for your child's safety seat. If you can't find the correct attachment, you can use the car's seat belt system to install the seat.
Q: Can I use LATCH to install a belt-positioning booster seat?
A: LATCH is not needed or used for booster seats.
Q: Can I use my car seat that has LATCH in a vehicle without it?
A: Yes, just be sure to install it correctly with the seat belt. Check both your vehicle and car seat manuals.
Q: How do I know which rear-seating positions are equipped with LATCH?
A: LATCH anchors are required in at least 2 seating positions in the rear seat of your car. The most common spots are the right and left outboard positions (next to the windows). This can vary, however, by vehicle. Use only the anchors in the positions listed in you car owner's manual and do not put your child's LATCH attached safety seat in the center position unless approved for your car.
Q: Should I use seat belts along with LATCH?
A: No, the LATCH anchors and attachments take the place of seat belts. Tuck the seat belts out of the way to avoid interfere with the lower anchoring system.
Q: I don't have LATCH in my car. Should I have it installed?
A: Lower anchor retrofits in vehicles are usually not possible. You can, however, have the top tether strap anchors installed. Contact your dealer. Some may not charge to install the tethers anchors. Remember, if you use the seat belts to install your child's safety seat correctly, that is as safe as LATCH.
Q: How do I know if I've installed my child's safety seat correctly?
A: For help with LATCH or seat belt installation, find a car safety seat checkpoint which offer free inspections held in most areas.
Q: Can I use the top tether with a seat belt to attach my child's safety seat?
A: Yes.
*These FAQs are adapted from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration materials.
Need more information?
Want to learn more about LATCH?
- Watch our video about LATCH
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- SafeKids USA
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