Has LATCH Solved Your

Installation Problems?

Lifesavers 2007
Session #2
Sunday, March 25, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Lawrence E. Decina
 DOT HS 810 679
December 2006

L. E. Decina and K. H. Lococo

TransAnalytics, LLC

C. T. Doyle
NHTSA/NCSA
 Main Study Objectives
 Collect information on whether drivers
transporting children in child safety seats
were using LATCH (correctly or not) in
vehicles equipped with these systems.

 Drivers’ opinions on ease of LATCH use

were also collected.
 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards
No. 225 - Child Restraint Anchorage Systems

❧ Upper tether anchors in back seats of passenger vehicles: 9/1/00

❧ Lower anchors into back seats of passenger vehicles: 9/1/02

No. 213 - Child Restraint Systems

❧ Upper tether on child safety seats: 9/1/99

❧ Lower attachments on child safety seats: 9/1/02
LATCH Attachment
 Data Collection Methods

Convenience Sampling

7 States:
AZ, FL, MO, MI, NC, PA, and WA

66 Sites in 31 Counties:
shopping centers, child care centers, health care facilities
 Data Collectors
CPS-Certified Instructors/Technicians

Extensive experience in the NHTSA-sponsored CPS

observation survey field

✓State CPS Program Coordinators

✓SafeKidsWorldwide Chapter Coordinators
✓Health Bureau Managers
✓Consultants
✓Law Enforcement Agencies
 Team
Arizona: Nancy Avery - Tucson SKW

Florida: Karen Hanawalt - Tallahassee CC/FL DOT

Michigan: Janelle Rose - Program Professionals Inc.

Missouri: Cathy Hogan - SKW St. Louis

North Carolina: William Hall (UNC/HSRC)

Leigha Shepler (SKW Guilford Cty)
Amy Krise (SKW Charlotte/Mecklenburg)
 Team (Cont’d)
Pennsylvania: Juli McGreevy
Sherri Penchishen (Bethlehem Health Dept.)
Capt. Fred Mills (Bethlehem Police Dept.)
Cynthia Cianciulli (Mont.Cty.Health Dept.)

Washington: Kathy Kruger - Wash. Safety Restraint Coalition

Advisors: Deborah D. Stewart (Safe Ride News)

Lorrie Walker (SKW Headquarters)
 Task Activities

 Survey Plan
 Recruitment of Team
 OMB Review
 Meeting with Team and Advisors
 Data Collection Instruments
Task Activities (Cont’d)
 Pilot Testing
 Training
 Data Collection (mid 2005)
 Analysis
 Findings and Interpretation
 Report
 Overall Findings
Upper Tether
 55% of the 375 children in tether-equipped CSSs,
riding in a seating position equipped with an upper
anchor were using the tether strap.

Lower Anchors
 60% of the 444 children in forward-facing CSSs
equipped with lower attachments, riding in a
seating position equipped with lower anchors were
using the lower attachments.
 Methods Used to Attach CSSs to the
Vehicle, when both the CSS and the Vehicle
Seating Position are LATCH Equipped, and
Tether Use is Appropriate (375 cases)
✓ Upper Tether + Lower Anchors: 138 (37%)
✓ Upper Tether + Lower Anchors + Seat Belt: 26 (7%)
✓ Upper Tether + Seat Belt: 44 (12%)
✓ Upper Tether Only: 0
✓ Lower Anchors + Seat Belt: 20 (5%)
✓ Lower Anchors Only: 37 (10%)
✓ Seat Belt Only: 110 (29%)
✓ Not Attached: 0
 Findings - Lower Attachments
Attachment of CSS to vehicle seat (511 cases)

 13% of CSSs not in seating position with lower anchors

 87% of CSSs in seating position with lower anchors

of these 87% (444 cases):

 60% use lower anchor attachments (267 cases)

48% use only lower attachments (213 cases)
12% use seat belts + lower attachments (54 cases)

 40% use seat belt only (177 cases)

 Upper Tether Issues

Tether Misuse (300 cases)

 18% - loose
 12% - twisted
 9% - improper routing (head restraint)
 4% - attached to something else
 Upper Tether Issues (Cont’d)

Reasons for Not Using Tether

(207 respondents)

 36% - didn’t know how to use it

 25% - didn’t think it was important to use
 Upper Tether Issues (Cont’d)
Tether Ease- of -Use (281 respondents)
81% - “very easy” or “relatively easy”

Tether Ease-of-Use by Adjuster Type (216 respondents)

 84% - tilt lock - “very easy” or “relatively easy”
 69% - double back - “very easy” or “relatively easy”
 Lower Attachment Issues

Lower Attachment Misuse (approx. 350 cases)

 30% - loose installation

 11% - attached to something else
 9% - connector upside down
 7% - incorrect path (flexible single strap)
Lower Attachment Issues (Cont’d)
Reasons for Nonuse of Lower Attach
(145 respondents)

 37% - didn’t know how to use it

 17% - didn’t think it was important

Ease of Use - Lower Attachments

(281 respondents)

 74% - “very easy” or “relatively easy”

 Lower Attachment Issues (Cont’d)
Ease-of-Use CSS Connector Types

 100% Rigid (5 respondents) “very easy” or “relatively easy”

 76% Flexible Strap w/ Push-ons (50 res.) “very easy” or
“relatively easy”
 74% Flex. Strap w/ Hook-ons (266 res.) “very easy” or
“relatively easy”
 Lower Attachment Issues (Cont’d)
Ease-of-Use CSS Webbing Tension Release Types

 75% Tilt-lock (160 respondents) “very easy” or “relatively easy”

 71% Squeeze-release (145 res.) “very easy” or “relatively easy”
Lower Attachments Issues (Cont.)
Dislikes with Lower Attachments
(246 respondents)

 27% “hard to release CSS from bars”

 12% “hard to hook CSS to the bars”
 8% “can’t get CSS tight”
 8% “hard to see” or “hard to find the bars”
 Future Goals
 Increase proper child safety seat installations.

 Increase use of upper tether straps and anchors.

 Increase use of young children riding in center-

rear seats.

 Increase use of lower attachments and anchors.

 Increase the proportion of new vehicles that have

lower anchors in center-rear seats.
 Future Goals (Cont’d)
Explore ways to increase the number of children
who are safely restrained, for the population of
children who weigh over 40 pounds but are not yet
old enough (at least 4 years old) to ride in a
booster seats.

This includes ways to increase the use of upper

tether straps and upper tether anchors, in
combination with child safety seats that are
weight/age appropriate.
 Future Goals (Cont’d)

Promote discussions to educate and support consumers

in their efforts to use LATCH to safely restrain their
young children

Public meeting February 8, 2007 in Washington, D.C.

Roundtable of child restraint and vehicle manufacturers,
retailers, technicians, researchers, and consumer groups
to discuss ways to improve child safety through
improved LATCH design.