Filed under: Safety
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If you’ve ever tried installing an infant car seat in say, a Jaguar XKR, you understand that just because a car has LATCH anchors doesn’t mean your car seat is going to fit. Those anchors are supposed to make child restraint installation a breeze, but according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, many automakers aren’t following the spirit of the law requiring them.
The study looked at the 98 top-selling vehicles from 2010-2011 and found just 21 that met its criteria for having “easy-to-use” LATCH hardware. Making the list were the Audi A4; Cadillac Escalade; Chevrolet Equinox, Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe; Chrysler Town & Country; Dodge Caliber, Grand Caravan and Ram; Ford Escape and F-150; GMC Sierra; Honda Pilot; Kia Sedona; Land Rover Range Rover Sport; Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class; Mitsubishi Eclipse and Lancer; and Toyota Tacoma.
The researchers used a test fixture that adhered to guidelines developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers to develop three criteria for evaluation. The first was having anchors that were easy to see and not buried beneath rear seat cushions. The second was having the LATCH attachment points unobstructed by seatbelts, foam or other parts of the seat. The third was that adults could correctly install the seats using less than 40 pounds of force.
While the study found that the majority of models didn’t nail all three criteria, the list of vehicles that didn’t meet any of them was much shorter: Buick Enclave; Chevrolet Impala; Dodge Avenger; Ford Flex and Taurus; Hyundai Sonata; and Toyota Sienna.
Scroll down to see a video about LATCH and read the full release from IIHS.Continue reading IIHS says most LATCH systems are too difficult to use [w/video]
IIHS says most LATCH systems are too difficult to use [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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