Background In March 1999, NHTSA amended FMVSS 213 and 225 establishing a uniform child restraint attachment system known as LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. LATCH allows installation of child safety seats in vehicles without use of the vehicle's current safety belts. FMVSS 225 requires vehicles to be equipped with an independent child restraint anchorages system that consists of two lower anchorages and one upper anchorage for the tether. FMVSS 213 requires child restraints to be equipped with a means of attaching to these anchorage systems. The anchorage system was phased into the fleet and child safety seats, but requires all passenger vehicles and child safety seats manufactured after September 1, 2002 to have the LATCH. The system is designed to make child safety seats easier to install correctly and increase their effectiveness.

ObjectiveDetermine the impact on child safety seat use and cost. Specifically, find out if consumers are using the LATCH system to install child safety seats, if they are easy to install, and the percentage that are being installed correctly. As a related issue, find out if children are using the appropriate child safety seat for their age, weight, and height.

Proposed Approach A survey on the use of LATCH will be conducted at fast-food restaurants, shopping center parking lots and similar locations. Since lower anchorage installation cannot be observed from a distance; it will be necessary to talk to people in stopped vehicles in a friendly environment - e.g., the approach successfully employed in past surveys at "Hardee's" on the misuse of child safety seats and the passenger air bag on-off switch survey. The survey will include older vehicles without LATCH anchorages to evaluate the compatibility of LATCH equipped child safety seats in these vehicles. The interview will include questions to the drivers about their knowledge of LATCH, ease of installation using the LATCH system, and reasons for not using LATCH to secure child safety seats. Cost of the anchorage system in vehicles and on child safety seats will be estimated from "teardown" analyses or from information provided by manufacturers. Additionally, injury rates to children in NASS will be compared by vehicle type (with or without LATCH), safety seat type (with or without LATCH) and tether use.

Status A contract to conduct the survey has been awarded. The survey will be conducted in the spring and early summer of 2005, followed by statistical analyses and the preparation of a report.