Vehicle LATCH System Features Associated with Correct Child Restraint Installations

Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) was intended to standardize the attachment between child restraints and vehicle seats. However, vehicle manufacturers implement LATCH differently, resulting in wide variation in factors such as anchor accessibility and ease-of-attachment of child restraint connectors. Some of these variations may affect parents’ ability to correctly install child restraints. Identifying the characteristics of the vehicles with the best child restraint installations conducted by subjects can provide guidance for developing vehicle LATCH systems that increase the correct installation of child restraints. Characteristics of the LATCH systems and other relevant vehicle features were documented in 98 top-selling 2010-11 vehicle make/models. These features, in combination with proposed LATCH usability ratings and guidelines from the International Standards Organization and Society of Automotive Engineers, were used to select 12 vehicles for volunteer testing. Thirty-six volunteers were assigned to four study groups, with each group testing three vehicles, four child restraints (infant, rear-facing convertible, forward-facing convertible, and combination seat), and two installation methods (lower anchors and seat belt) in a split-plot experimental design.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/pdf/r1173.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

  1005 North Glebe Road
  Arlington, VA  United States  22201
• Authors:
  • Klinich, Kathleen D
  • Flannagan, Carol A C
  • Jermakian, Jessica S
  • McCartt, Anne T
  • Manary, Miriam A
  • Moore, Jamie L
  • Wells, Joann K
• Publication Date: 2012-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 32p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Child restraint systems; Equipment tests; Installation; Vehicle safety
• Identifier Terms: Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Ease of use
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01376118
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 20 2012 3:21PM