If you're in the market for a child car seat you've probably being hearing a lot about something called LATCH. But what is it? Well, LATCH stands for "Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children" and is a system for installing a child car seat in an automobile. Defined by the United States Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standards, LATCH is designed to make installing a child's car seat easier.

Many parents think their children are too big for car seats or have outgrown their booster seats. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that children should be restrained in a booster seat until they are 4'9" and about 80 pounds. Regular seat belts are made for men who are 5'10" and 160 pounds. They are not designed to secure a child under 80 pounds. Yes, this quite possibly means that your 10 year old should still be in a booster seat!

Most airlines accept car seats in addition to normal carry on or checked luggage provided approved space is available. When checking your car seat on a US Domestic or International flight you can bring your car seat to the gate to be loaded there. If checking a car seat as luggage the original box/packaging should be used. A liability release form must be signed.

MCHD has a certified child passenger safety technician on staff. If you live in or near Marquette County, Michigan and would like to have your child's car seat checked, contact Diane Curry at 906-315-2612 or dcurry@mqtcty.org. If you live outside the county, contact Diane to obtain contact information for all currently certified Upper Peninsula child passenger safety technicians.

Yes. Any child safety seat, even one with LATCH, can be safely installed using a seat belt and, if available for use with a forward-facing child safety seat, a top tether anchor. Be sure to follow the vehicle owner's manual and child safety seat manufacturer's instructions for correct installation and proper use.

NHTSA does not test these retrofit systems in its compliance testing program, so we have no policy on these systems. However, some child restraint manufacturers offer retrofit kits for lower LATCH attachments. If you choose to use a retrofit LATCH attachment kit, it is important to read the manufacturer's instructions to ensure that it can be used with your child seat model. Yes. The requirement only applies to child safety seats manufactured on or after September 1, 2002.

A properly installed child restraint system and a LATCH system, without the use of the tether, offer the same levels of protection in a crash. Using the tether on either system improves overall effectiveness in reducing fatalities and injuries. LATCH was developed for improved ease-of-use and correct installation without using vehicle seat belts.

When Michigan does mandate restraint use, it requires the driver to secure both the child safety seat and the child properly. Michigan Enforcement Fines: Driver fined maximum $10 for child restraint violation. Driver fined $25 for safety belt violation by occupants 4 through 15. Offender fined $25 for safety belt violation if 16 and older. Other states may require a child sit in a child restraint system up to the age of 8.

These inspections are conducted by state-certified inspectors. Call 866-732-8243 for the location of the nearest free safety check. You can also find more information at www.seatcheck.org.

Yes, Southern Skyways will accept FAA approved child restraint systems on board the aircraft. You are also permitted to check your car seat in addition to the two checked pieces of luggage you are permitted.

There are a lot of car seats out there. Many tout having extra features to increase safety. Ultimately, however, the safest car seat for your child is the one that best:

LATCH (also ISOFIX) is not necessarily safer than using seatbelts to install a carseat. It may make it easier to get a safe installation. LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. Most newer vehicles and child seats have this system. For more information, see our comprehensive guide:

No, you can still use the vehicle seat belt system to secure your child safety seat to the vehicle, and it is still safe.

Answer: No. The TurboBooster is not equipped with mounting areas for a tether or the LATCH system. The federal government does not require these systems on belt positioning seats. This style of seat relies on the adult lap and shoulder belt to restrain the child.

Your current non-LATCH child safety seat is still safe to use, even in a LATCH-equipped vehicle. There will be many different model LATCH child safety seats available on the market. Try a LATCH child safety seat in your vehicle before you buy it and see if you find it more convenient to install correctly. If you find it easier to install correctly, you may want to consider replacing your current child safety seat.

LATCH attachments on child safety seats should be obvious on the product. These attachments may be flexible (a strap with a hook on the end) or rigid (an inflexible, firm bar with a connector on the end). The LATCH attachments will likely be (1) threaded through the path provided on the child safety seat that is to be used to secure the seat to the vehicle using the vehicle's belt system in non LATCH-equipped vehicles, or (2) attached to the lower portion of the child safety seat.

Yes. Non-LATCH child safety seats meet the same safety standards and are safe if they (a) are installed according to the vehicle owner's manual and child safety seat manufacturer's instructions, (b) haven't been recalled, and (c) haven't been damaged or in a crash. Child safety seats that don't have LATCH should be installed using seat belts, even in LATCH-equipped vehicles.

No, LATCH isn't needed on these seats. LATCH is used only for rear-facing and forward-facing child safety seats. Because booster seats do not attach to the vehicle seat using the seat belt, they don't have the compatibility problems that the LATCH system resolves. NHTSA recommends that after children outgrow their forward-facing child safety seat they be restrained in a booster seat until they are at least 8 years old, unless they are 4'9".

No. The safety standard does not require that both systems be used together. Child restraints are tested to ensure compliance with Federal safety standards when (1) attached to a vehicle using the LATCH system, and (2) attached using the vehicle belt system without LATCH. The LATCH system was designed to make child safety seat installation easier, without using seat belts. Yes, as long as it does not interfere with a secure fit of the child safety seat and correct installation.

The best car seat is one that meets your child's age and size requirements and is compatible with your car. Children are safer in the back seat of the vehicle. Generally, the middle seating position is the safest place in the car, but ONLY IF the child's car seat and the vehicle seat are compatible and you can get a tight fit.

It is not illegal under NYS law for a child passenger to ride in the front seat of a vehicle that has a passenger air bag, but it is dangerous. Recent studies show that air bags can cause serious or fatal injuries to infants, children or small adults that sit in the passenger-side front seat. It is also normally safer for a child of any age to ride in the back seat of any vehicle.

per NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission rules, it is not mandatory. You can request a car seat if you feel more secure, but there will be a charge for it. NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission rules exempt the drivers and passengers in Taxis and Black Cars from having to wear seat belts. Please feel free to use one if you wish. No. Smoking is prohibited for the driver and the passengers by the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. All vehicles must be clean and smoke free at all times.

Many children dislike the confines of a properly fitted harness strap or seat belts on boosters. This is a difficult disciplinary problem but here are some tips. 1) Make sure everyone in the car buckles up on every ride. 2) Dress the child for comfort, avoid heavy clothing between the harness strap and child. 3) pull over and stop and tell the child that you cannot drive unless everyone is buckled up, it's the law. There are harness systems specific to behavioral issues.