carseat / LATCH PSA

[littlecindy]

has anyone else heard about this? the LATCH system might not be safe for toddlers and preschoolers due to the combined weight of the child and the carseat itself? in my car, for example, the child plus seat needs to be less than 48 lbs (unless you use the top tether) and the seats can weight up to like 23 lbs, so a kid could easily outgrow that

Comments

[littlecindy]

i can't find a good explanation as to why some carseats say not to use the lower latch anchors when using the seat in booster/seatbelt mode. here is a list of those that do allow you to use both:

http://thecarseatlady.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/latch-201-which-latch-attachments-come-with-which-child-safety-seats-the-standard-the-optional/

the same woman says that using both is like using contacts and glasses (i.e. using both makes it worse):

http://thecarseatlady.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/latch-101-the-basics/

i think the idea is that the mechanics are different when using a harness or a seatbelt/booster system. with the harness, you are keeping the child tight against the seat in a crash, and you want the lower anchors to keep the seat close to the backseat, i.e. keeping your child tight against the backseat / the car itself. but whenever you use a seatbelt, there is actually some give in the seatbelt and i think there is supposed to be. so having the lower anchors on may inhibit that bit of motion that is supposed to be there when you use the seatbelt?

[littlecindy]

and yet consumer reports says "The LATCH manual concludes that the more anchorage points used to attach a child restraint, the better."

and it sounds like using the top tether is generally a good idea with boosters:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/booster-combination-car-seats/higher-weight-limit-seats/index.htm

[littlecindy]

ok, i found something...

"there are lingering concerns among some manufacturers that...the child could slide forward on the booster and have a greater risk of injury than if the booster moved with the child. Testing results with boosters attached to vehicles have been mixed, with some tests showing improved kinematics using a LATCH-secured booster, and others showing less desirable
kinematics"

https://sites.google.com/a/umich.edu/cpsbestpraci/child-boosters-and-belts/boosters

[fsb2005]

I wouldn't install the LATCH tightly in booster mode, but it seems like a loose install is a good idea -- otherwise with a giant heavy seat like a Britax Frontier there is SO much force coming behind the child and pushing them against the seatbelt -- that just has to be worse. To me, it seems like an unlatched heavy booster isn't that safe -- but, I'm no scientist and they do test these things, so who knows. And of course you are taking a risk going against manufacturer recommendations, because if you ever wanted to sue them for medical expenses, they'd have a defense that you weren't following their instructions. That's pretty remote and I'd still choose what I thought was safest over for-sure keeping the possibility of a lawsuit, but it's hard to figure these things out.

[littlecindy]

so complicated and frustrating...how unclear is this?

"Testing results with boosters attached to vehicles have been mixed, with some tests showing improved kinematics using a LATCH-secured booster, and others showing less desirable kinematics"

https://sites.google.com/a/umich.edu/cpsbestpraci/child-boosters-and-belts/boosters

the britax frontier says it's safe for that seat to be used with the lower anchors, so i think i will use them since the seat is pretty damned heavy. if i had a lighter one, i might not.

[fsb2005]

Yeah I think the best bet is to have a seat that lets you use LATCH in booster mode. And I agree that it also depends on how heavy your seat is -- it's surprising to me that you're allowed to use the frontier in booster mode without latching it -- it is so darned heavy!!