LATCH Child Safety Seat System

As a new parent any info about children's safety is important to me...I thought other parents might find this new information interesting too!

In 2001 85% of all child safety seats (infant included) are improperly installed, making the seats ineffective in protecting your child in the case of an auto accident.

Car manufacturers and the new LATCH system might be the solution...

By September 1, 2002, car seat manufactures will be required to have LATCH or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children in all car seats and LATCH anchorage clips will be standard in all 2003 model cars.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that the new LATCH system will eliminate as much as half of the misuse associated with the improper installation of child safety seats by eliminating the need to secure car seats with adult seat belts.

*The government estimates the new seat anchor system could save between 36 and 50 lives a year and prevent another 1,200 to 3,000 injuries.

*You can buy LATCH retrofit kits for car seats that are not manufactured with this new hardware.

For more information on car seat safety go to: www.nhtsa.org

To see photos of the new LATCH in new model cars, go to: www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/csr2001/flyer/latchFlyer.html

Stephanie Oakes is a fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel, a contributing editor for USA Weekend Magazine and the LA Times, and appears on NBC's 'Today in New York'. She can be reached at soakes@beststuff.com.