latch and booster seats

[tjham]

I have an Evenflo Chase Booster Combo seat in harness mode with LATCH. When and if I use it in booster mode, the book does not specifically say TO use Latch or NOT to use Latch.

Seems to me it would be safer to have the seat attached with Latch and not flying around in case of an accident if someone forgets to buckle it in when there is no child in it!?! But other booster combos do say NOT to use Latch in booster mode.

Why is this? Why would it be any less safe to use Latch with a seatbelted booster than with a harness?

[Joolsplus2]

In early, early tests, the dummies flew forward, down, off the latched seat, and really did a number on their abdomens, so I think that's the data that everyone's still going on (they were backless, armless, and rigidly LATCHED, I believe). Also, there is a strict, but uninforced 'law' that boosters only weigh 9 pounds, and taking off that couple ounces of metal and straps helps them comply.

As life wears on, more and more moms with common sense are leaving them LATCHED, and it is actually reducing the rate of injury/death in side impacts, but there's going to be a massive time lag in this data changing the current standards. So, officially, I will say, Follow the manual, and if the manual isn't clear, then contact the manufacturer, and do what they say.

Personally, I am probably bad, and never worry at all about my boosters flying around the car in a crash... that 9 pounds is spread out over a large area and will hit the seatback or carseat next to it (compared to a 9 pound axe on my rear package shelf, for example, yes, the guy who did that to himself died...Darwin Award winner!), and I'll hold out for the Jane Indy Plus, which is available in Europe now and rigidly LATCHes in ;).

Graco combo seats are allowed to be top tethered in booster mode, so are Recaros (the Start MUST be, because it weighs 25 pounds), and the discontinued Britax Bodyguard clamps the lapbelt at all times. Evenflo and Cosco don't allow tethering or LATCHing in booster mode.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[tjham]

Wow! So I will probably tether when the time comes, unless I use a Turbo which has no tether.

Thanks for the info. Hope they do more research on this!

[Joolsplus2]

Or a Parkway or Recaro booster, all of which are actually tested to contain the head in side impact crashes...the Turbo is 'the right shape' to protect the head, but they haven't done any testing on it to make sure it's very protective ;).
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[tjham]

Quote from Julie: "As life wears on, more and more moms with common sense are leaving them LATCHED, and it is actually reducing the rate of injury/death in side impacts, but there's going to be a massive time lag in this data changing the current standards. So, officially, I will say, Follow the manual, and if the manual isn't clear, then contact the manufacturer, and do what they say."


Well, I wish they would hurry up and test it again! Adults sit on a FIXED vehicle seat, smaller children are harnessed in a FIXED carseat. Why shouldn't boostered children have a FIXED seat?