This is in the 09 Mercury Milan owners manual, is it now acceptable?

Amaris · Jan 30, 2011

Combining safety belt and LATCH lower anchors for attaching
child safety seats
When used in combination, either the safety belt or the LATCH lower
anchors may be attached first, provided a proper installation is achieved.
Attach the tether strap afterward, if included with the child seat. Refer
to Recommendations for attaching safety restraints for children in
this chapter

Copied and pasted from pg 166. I thought using both wasn't allowed, has that changed?

northernmommy · Jan 30, 2011

I read it as saying that you use either the lower anchors and the top tether, or the seatbelt and the top tether :shrug-shoulders:

LISmama810 · Jan 30, 2011

I think some Ford manuals allow both now, too. Are they related?

Remember that the car seat would have to allow it, too, and so far none do.

TerisBoys · Jan 30, 2011

LISmama810 said:
I think some Ford manuals allow both now, too. Are they related?

Remember that the car seat would have to allow it, too, and so far none do.

Mercury is a division of Ford Motors. I believe Lincoln is as well.

LISmama810 · Jan 30, 2011

TerisBoys said:
Mercury is a division of Ford Motors. I believe Lincoln is as well.

Thanks. I can never keep track of who's who.

Melanie · Jan 30, 2011

My Ford manual allows both for forward facing, but not rear facing. (2010)

LISmama810 said:
Remember that the car seat would have to allow it, too, and so far none do.

I didn't realize the car seat had to allow it too. Not that I mind much. It's difficult to get the seatbelt through in a LBP Frontier install when the LATCH is already there and in the way.

LISmama810 · Jan 30, 2011

Melanie said:
I didn't realize the car seat had to allow it too. Not that I mind much. It's difficult to get the seatbelt through in a LBP Frontier install when the LATCH is already there and in the way.

I don't know for sure if any manuals specifically say to use only one or the other, but I imagine some--if not most--do. (It seems like I've read that in manuals before). But certainly none give instructions for doing so.

Amaris · Jan 30, 2011

The milan is the sister car of the ford fusion and the lincoln mkz (I think it's the mkz, it used to be the zephyr and they changed all the names). There is a chart on a previous page that shows it being ok to use both at the same time. I'm down to just a radian for harnessed seats and I knew it wasn't in that manual but thought maybe it was ok'd by different manufacturers, or maybe ford just had no clue!

cookie123 · Jan 30, 2011

I also read it as use the lower latch and top tether or the seatbelt and top tether.

LISmama810 · Jan 30, 2011

Amaris said:
Combining safety belt and LATCH lower anchors for attaching
child safety seats
When used in combination, either the safety belt or the LATCH lower
anchors may be attached first, provided a proper installation is achieved.
Attach the tether strap afterward, if included with the child seat. Refer
to Recommendations for attaching safety restraints for children in
this chapter

Unless it's written very, very horribly, I'd say it's pretty clear that they're talking about using both at once.

Amaris · Jan 30, 2011

I wish I could copy and paste the chart, but the across the top it has the options of using the seatbelt to install a car seat, using latch to install a carseat, using both seatbelt and latch to install a carseat, and using the seatbelt with a booster seat. Down the left side it gives the age/weight of the child, and then there's an x in the square out from the childs size under the acceptable methods of install. If I remember correctly it said to use both with a ffing seat and a child under 48lbs. I'm not at my computer right now so I can't look it up, but the ford manuals are available online at ford.com

An Aurora · Jan 30, 2011

Ford allows it in several of their models, but I haven't seen any car seats that allow it.

jourdysmom · Jan 30, 2011

Way to teach parents to do it wrong LOL

That wording is SO confusing!

LISmama810 · Jan 30, 2011

Yes, yet another disconnect between the auto industry and CPS advocates. Maybe with Ford's inflatable seatbelts it's better to have LATCH used too, as a backup.

Amaris · Jan 31, 2011

Are they really putting inflatable seatbelts in cars? I remember reading something here about it a while ago, but I would think they would have to make it so that latch is always used for seats. It would be nice if they would put some effort into making what they already have better, and explain the proper way to use it!

LISmama810 · Jan 31, 2011

Amaris said:
Are they really putting inflatable seatbelts in cars? I remember reading something here about it a while ago, but I would think they would have to make it so that latch is always used for seats. It would be nice if they would put some effort into making what they already have better, and explain the proper way to use it!

Yes, in some cars. Ford claims they're perfectly safe to use with car seats, but Britax (and possibly someone else) has come out with a statement saying that the belts are NOT compatible with their seats. So awesome. :thumbsup:

ca2003 · Jan 31, 2011

Amaris said:
Are they really putting inflatable seatbelts in cars? I remember reading something here about it a while ago, but I would think they would have to make it so that latch is always used for seats. It would be nice if they would put some effort into making what they already have better, and explain the proper way to use it!

We were at the auto show on Saturday and one of the new Ford Explorers there had the inflatable seatbelts. Not sure if it is going to be standard on them or not but I also heard them mention them when they were talking about their cars. They felt thicker than normal seatbelts. I can definitely see them being an issue with car seats.

luckyclov · Jan 31, 2011

Inflatable seatbelts? That just sounds...stupid.

So, let's say...some day, carseats do allow for both (seatbelt and lower anchor) for installation (in a vehicle that allows the same, of course)...would that mean you no longer have a weight limit on the lower anchors? That'd be, ummm, really confusing for some people.

April · Jan 31, 2011

There is a thread somewhere with a picture of that chart. Or maybe it was on the CPSP List? Anyways, I want to say that it was first in the 2010 Ford Flex manual (or at least that was the first "we" heard of it), but I'm not positive on that.
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