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View Full Version : Which is safer: center of seat without LATCH or side of seat with LATCH?



acadiaphile
08-10-2001, 03:08 PM
I'm due any day with our first child and have been thinking ahead to a convertable child's car seat and trying to figure out which is safer: a car seat with at LATCH located on the side of the back seat or a car seat without LATCH located in the middle of the rear seat. I have a 2001 Legacy wagon and the LATCH attachments are on either side (not the middle) of the back seat.

Also: Can a car seat with the LATCH hook up work in a car without LATCH? (Hooked up conventionally).

Thanks for the info. folks!

lwong
08-10-2001, 03:38 PM
Provided that you can secure your car seat properly, you definitely want to use the middle of the rear seat. This provides additional crush space in the event that your car is hit on the side. LATCH attachments aren't necessarily any safer, they're just easier and thus increase the likelihood of securing the car seat correctly.

tobymc
08-10-2001, 03:44 PM
LATCH is a great thing. I think it is going to make it much more likely that parents use their carseats right, since it will be easier to do so. It is exciting to see more cars with latch, and more seats with latch.

However, I have not seen any research to indicate that a properly installed conventional carseat is less safe than a properly installed latch seat. Of course, since the latch seat is easier to install, more of them will be in right. However, if you learn to install your seats properly, both choices will be safe.

Now back to your car. Generally, the center position is considered the safest, since it is farthest from potential impacts. This is born out by large studies from insurance agencies about crashes involving children and carseats. So unless there is a good reason to move the child outboard, I encourage parents to use the center position. Good reasons include the seat not fitting well, or the child being at risk from an older sibling.

You asked if a latch-equipped seat can be used in a conventional manner. The answer is yes.

So I would say that your child is probably better off in the center, in a properly installed and tight seat, with the conventional system, rather than outboard with the latch system.

If, however, you find that the seat fits better outboard, or you think that you will be more likely to have a proper installation using the latch attachments, you might take the extra risk of that position. It would be a trade off.

I hope that makes sense, and that I didn't repeat myself too often!

Toby, CPS tech