10
WHAT IS LATCH?
5NITED3TATES&EDERAL-OTOR6EHICLE3AFETY
3TANDARDSHAVEDElNEDANEWSYSTEMFOR
INSTALLINGCHILDRESTRAINTSINVEHICLES4HESYSTEM
is called LATCH. LATCH stands for:
Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren.
LATCHINTHEVEHICLECONSISTSOFATOP
tether anchor point and two lower
anchor points.
3OMEVEHICLEOWNERMANUALSUSETHE
term ISOFIX to identify the new child
RESTRAINTANCHORSYSTEM4HISCHILD
restraint with LATCH can also be used
INVEHICLESEATINGPOSITIONSEQUIPPED
with ISOFIX.
.EWERVEHICLESMAYHAVEONEORMORESEATING
POSITIONSEQUIPPEDWITHLATCH anchor points.
)FVEHICLEISEQUIPPEDWITH
LATCHTHEVEHICLE
LOWERANCHORPOINTSMAYBEVISIBLEATTHEVEHICLE
SEATCREASE)FNOTVISIBLETHEYMAYBEMARKED
with a symbol (Fig. a) or a colored dot.
See your vehicle owner’s manual for exact
locations, anchor identification, and
requirements for use with a child restraint.
#HECKVEHICLEOWNERSMANUALFORVEHICLETOP
TETHERANCHORLOCATIONS4HEYMAYBEIDENTIlED
using one of the anchor symbols(Fig. b or Fig. c).
5SEVEHICLEBELTNOT
LATCHCONNECTORSFOR
installations with children weighing more than 48
POUNDSKG
NOTE:3OMEVEHICLEMANUFACTURERSHAVELOWER
maximum weight ratings for LATCH anchors, so
YOUMUSTCONSULTYOURVEHICLEOWNERSMANUAL
ORCALLTHEVEHICLEMANUFACTURERTOCONlRMTHE
LIMITSONYOURVEHICLESLATCH anchors.