Whats being done to make safety seats safer?
Many car seats now come with a tether strap that binds the car seat to the top of the vehicle’s seat. Check with your auto manufacturer to see if the company will pay for or subsidize installation of a tether strap. Additionally, a major change has come to the way car safety seats will be installed in new vehicles. As of September 1, 2002, all new cars will have one type of machinery installed in the back seat, called the LATCH system, which fits all new car safety seats. LATCH is an acronym for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. Owners will simply lock the car seat in place, and all owners should be able to do this without the tricks traditionally necessary. This system, however, will have no bearing on older vehicles or older car safety seats. Also, the LATCH system is used only for forward and rear-facing seats, not with booster seats for children ages 4 to 8. Additionally, automakers are required to put the LATCH system only at the two seats by the windows, not in the middle w
