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LATCH system

cwm11985cwm11985 member
in 3rd Trimester
ahhh what is this LATCH system people are talking about in the car seat thread??  How do I know if my Jeep has that? Gosh I feel so uneducated, I always see car seats behind the passenger seat and assumed that that was the right thing to do. eeekkk!
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Re: LATCH system

  • travnicektravnicek member

    imagehocus:
    When was your jeep manufactured? I think every car made in the last 10 years had it. Just check the back seat -- there should be metal anchors for the car seat attachment belt to hook on to. Your owner manual will also have a lot of information about how to best install a seat in your car.

     

    Yep, and then the car seat you buy will have the corresponding connections. I think it's an awesome invention! No more using the seat belt to strap it in.

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  • acbfreireacbfreire member
    Look at the car manual for their location.
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  • NeverLostHopeNeverLostHope
    Read your manuals. Both the car manual AND the manual for your car seat. ALWAYS. 
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  • kitchaoskitchaos

    imageNeverLostHope:
    Read your manuals. Both the car manual AND the manual for your car seat. ALWAYS. 

    Exactly this!

    All LATCH does is make installation a hair easier than with a seatbelt. 

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  • Gismo123Gismo123 member
    I tried both ways and found the Latch System much more easier and more secure.  That's just my opinion though....I just couldn't get as good of a lock down with the seat belt way.
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  • HeyJuneHeyJune member

    It stands for lower anchors and tethers for children. It was mandated in 2002 that all new cars sold in the USA have this system, which makes it easier to install car seats and established a standard hook on all new infant seats.

    As far as whether you should use LATCH or just the seatbelt....a direct quote from the NHTSA is that "Both provide equal protection as child safety seats must meet Federal safety standards with either installation method. The most important thing is to be sure that the child safety seat is correctly installed in your vehicle. Be sure to read both the child safety seat instructions and the section in the vehicle owner?s manual on installing child safety seats."

    If you put your hand into the area between the top and bottom part of your vehicle's seat (near where your seatbelt buckle is) you should be able to fish around and find it. It looks like a black metal hook.

    Here's the official website with videos on how to use it. If you select any of the checkboxes, it will load a PDF with more info. The FAQ pamphlet answers a lot of questions brought up on this board, including what to do if your car doesn't have LATCH in the middle seat. They say to use the center seatbelt if your car doesn't have LATCH in the center (unless your vehicle manual says otherwise).

    https://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/LATCH

     

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  • amandajoyceamandajoyce

    Ditto to what the other ladies said.

    Also, just a tip - my husband was a mechanic for nearly ten years up until last November. He said that car manufacturers put the most protection on the rear passenger door because that's where the computer for the airbags is placed. In theory, that would be the safest place for the car seat if you can't use the middle.

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