Do you think that the latch system is safer then the seat belt in cars?

Answer 1

I don't think its any safer when either is used properly. However, I think that LATCH makes correct installation easier, making the overall percentage of correctly used car seats higher.

Edit: Just a note on Shannon's answer about slack in seatbelts. Newer cars' seatbelts can be locked by fully extending the seatbelt then releasing it to the correct spot (you'll hear a clicking sound as the belt retracts and if you try to pull on it you will find that it is locked).

And I totally agree with the former car seat inspector that many people don't realize that their LATCH attachments are only at the doors and not in the middle, I discovered that when I took my seat in for an inspection on my Corolla.

Answer 2

The LATCH isn't safer necessarily. It's just easier to use than the seat belts. There is a whole lot more to remember when you install your car seat with a seat belt and the latch just snaps on, you tighten it and you're done. However, some people don't realize that if they put the seat in the middle and there aren't LATCH anchors there that it is too wide and you won't have the seat properly installed. Always read the owner's manual for both the vehicle you are installing the seat in and the seat itself to make sure you are doing it properly. If you don't have latch anchors in the middle then you should use the seatbelt if you insist on putting the seat in the middle.

Answer 3

No, because you can't always use them with every seat. Some seats (especially for older kids) are wider than than the latch anchors between the seats, so you can't use them. The LATCH system wasn't invented to be safer, just easier. Seatbelts are plenty safe, but more difficult for the average person to get right, with all the locking/ELR/ALR seatbelt issues. Seatbelts after like 1996 can be put in locking mode by pulling the shoulder portion all the way out and then letting it go back in, it'll click as it goes in, and you won't be able to pull it back out until you unbuckle it and put it all the way back in again. If your seatbelts were before 1996 or in some front seatbelts, they may not lock at all, and you have to use a locking clip, which makes things considerably more difficult. BUT all this can be avoided somewhat, take the seat and your car to a police station and have a certified child passenger safety technician put the seat in for you!

Anyways, LATCH is not safer, just easier. Seatbelts are very safe if used correclty. AND LATCH can only be used up to 40lbs. in most cars, so if you buy a seat that can harness for longer (like a Britax) you HAVE to change from LATCH to seatbelt to keep using the seat safely.

Answer 4

The latch anchors the base down to the car so much better than the seat belt. The seat belt doesn't always stay tight. Sometime you'll notice that the seat belt gets tighter when the brakes are being slammed on, other than that its pretty loose. Use the anchors they are your best bet.. My uncle is a cop and has 3 kids of his own. He said the anchor is the best way to go for the best protection in an accident.

Answer 5

In my previous profession, no not with a auto manufacture, we used LATCH. And as the mother of 7 children, I wish they had it when my oldest were babies. If installed properly with LATCH, the car seat is going no where. Now, it will do you no good to use it if you are not using the car seat properly. The LATCH system restrains the car to the frame. And is very secure. I will not have a car for my kids still in car seats unless it has LATCH. I would highly recommend it, both professionally and personally.

Answer 6

Depending on the age/weight of the baby you have different needs. He needs o be rear facing in a t-strao (over his chest and down to legs) in the car seat but the seat then needs to buckle over the car seat. When hi is big enough to sit in a front facing seat you still need the t-strap and car seat belt until he is about 6 years old. This is when he outgrows the booter seat car seats. I was an ER nurse for years and nothing is worse than an unrestrained child.)

Answer 7

What vehicle? examine your proprietors instruction manual and make sure you're able to do a center establish on a rear face seat. We used the seat belts for our seats, in simple terms ought to pull each and every of how out till ultimately the belt 'locks' because it retracts. examine extra healthful with a vehicle seat tech. And whilst your lil one is older, FYI a convertible vehicle seat takes up much less room front to returned than infant vehicle seats. so as which you would be waiting to rear face a convertible seat on your infant in the back of the passenger seat.

Answer 8

Most latches have a lower center of gravity and more secure points. I prefer the latches over the sealtbelt to buckle in a carseat.