News The 2014 changes to LATCH

christineka · Jun 8, 2012

I just read this article about the 2014 latch changes. I had understood that while these changes were going to take place, that they only applied to new car seats and not those manufactured prior to the regulated changes. (So everyone with an older car seat need not weigh our car seats.) I am not happy with the change. I think it would be a good change if they tested the latch anchors to a higher limit first, before setting the limit. I am certain those anchors could go up to 80 or more pounds.

4boysmom · Jun 8, 2012

This makes me weary of Diono's position on their SuperLATCH...

djma · Jun 8, 2012

A friend of mine just e-mailed me about this. He is an engineer at a local college. I have helped them with seats many times.

This is what he said in the e-mail.

"In one of my classes at * we did some study on the impact forces in car accidents and how to "soften" them, and it was eye opening to say the least... For the latch points in my truck, I don't think I would trust them for over 50 pounds combined weight in a 55mph crash; not even for a bowling ball at 70. From an engineer's perspective, the seat belt is a safer way to go, even though it is often a little harder and time consuming to install."

For me personally, this doesn't change a lot. A latch install has only been easier on maybe 1 or 2 seats.

Baylor · Jun 8, 2012

4boysmom said:
This makes me weary of Diono's position on their SuperLATCH...

Since coming here I would never use superlatch past car recommended limit.

auto correct hates me

tiggercat · Jun 8, 2012

I haven't followed this carefully, but won't this decrease the limit for many seat, and in effect go backwards? Why not make anchors/connectors stronger than limit their use more?
I do feel more comfortable using the seatbelt for FF installs, but if you're going to have a system designed to hold child restraint systems, it should be useful for the majority of seats for the majority of their usefulness, no?

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4boysmom · Jun 8, 2012

Baylor said:
Since coming here I would never use superlatch past car recommended limit.

auto correct hates me

I don't use LATCH at all really but there are many who use it to restrain their ERFers.

Brianna · Jun 8, 2012

Considering most people go with the AOE/clone which is about 11 pounds, and switch to a booster by 40 pounds, it will be fine for most people.

LISmama810 · Jun 8, 2012

I do wonder if anchors aren't as strong as we think they are.

Or some are, and some aren't. Remember, the standard changed, so what if pre-2005 anchors held one weight, and post-2005 can hold another?

Then you have the issue with some SEATS having different limits.

Although this change will make things "worse" in a way, it WILL make it more uniform. Instead of saying, "Well, if you have X seat and Y vehicle, your limit is Z. Unless it's from 2004, then your limit is A. And if you drive a B, then it's C. If you drive a D, then the limit is E, regardless."

Yeah, this combined weight thing will be a PITA, but I'm hoping there will be a chart. Then we can just say (or parents can see for themselves) what the limit for their seat is, period.

The practicality of the LATCH system has been flawed since its inception. This is just another embodiment of such.

Brianna · Jun 8, 2012

LISmama810 said:
Yeah, this combined weight thing will be a PITA, but I'm hoping there will be a chart. Then we can just say (or parents can see for themselves) what the limit for their seat is, period.

The practicality of the LATCH system has been flawed since its inception. This is just another embodiment of such.

IIRC, the weight limit of the child for using LATCH will be on the seat- I'm sure this can be incorporated into the existing measurements spreadsheet here.

LISmama810 · Jun 8, 2012

Brianna said:
IIRC, the weight limit of the child for using LATCH will be on the seat- I'm sure this can be incorporated into the existing measurements spreadsheet here.

Right, but there will likely be discontinued seats that we'll need a weight on, and it would be nice for parents to be able to get the info without us, too.

cantabdad · Jun 8, 2012

Brianna said:
Considering most people go with the AOE/clone which is about 11 pounds, and switch to a booster by 40 pounds, it will be fine for most people.

Most people switch to a booster at 40 pounds? I thought that this couldn't possibly be correct, but when I checked the only NHTSA study that I could find it turns out that the situation is even worse than you suggest. According to their checks, among children 40 to 59 pounds: 42% were in a CRS, 43% were in a seatbelt only, and 15% were completely unrestrained. That is just horrifying -- but obviously not a surprise to you and the more seasoned folks here. We have a long way to go.

Brianna · Jun 8, 2012

LISmama810 said:
Right, but there will likely be discontinued seats that we'll need a weight on, and it would be nice for parents to be able to get the info without us, too.

Ok, I read your thread about it http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=214982 and it appears that it's a change to FMVSS standards, not what the vehicle manufacturer states for the LATCH limit. If the seat is pre-2014, it seems like you can still use the seat to the manual's and car's limits, right? Have FMVSS standards been retroactive before?

LISmama810 · Jun 8, 2012

Brianna said:
Ok, I read your thread about it http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=214982 and it appears that it's a change to FMVSS standards, not what the vehicle manufacturer states for the LATCH limit. If the seat is pre-2014, it seems like you can still use the seat to the manual's and car's limits, right? Have FMVSS standards been retroactive before?

It seems that the article posted in the OP is saying that it will, essentially, be retroactive.

LISmama810 · Jun 8, 2012

Actually, upon re-reading, I'm not convinced that's what the article is saying. It's vague at best. It says that in 2014, parents will be advised not to use LATCH beyond a combined 65 lbs, but it doesn't specify whether that applies to cars/seats already in use. We need more info.

Brianna · Jun 8, 2012

I didn't get that impression, and i don't put much weight on a news article getting the details correct. Do they state their source? It seems like if that is the case, wouldn't they have to re-issue manuals or stickers for all pre-2014 seats?

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glockchick · Jun 8, 2012

LISmama810 said:
The practicality of the LATCH system has been flawed since its inception. This is just another embodiment of such.

I agree completely!

cookie123 · Jun 8, 2012

This makes me curious as to what Sweden's latch limits are.

4boysmom · Jun 8, 2012

To me though even if the "rules"/laws don't change it would seem there is a REASON they don't want people to use the seats past 65 pounds combined weight and that reason is essentially a "law of physics" and it doesn't matter if the law of the state agree with that or not... much like some laws give 1 and/or 20 pounds as a law to be able to face forward but the law of physics don't give a crap if a kid is 13 months; if their neck is not strong enough it does not matter that they are over a year old. I don't care if I am "allowed" to keep using LATCH for a heavier child, if there is a law of physics that says it is not safe I am probably going with that over more lax "laws".

Judi · Jun 8, 2012

Diono hasn't answered the question about the article yet. It was posted on their wall 7 hours ago. Maybe she has learned to wait, and talk to some people before posting.

christineka · Jun 8, 2012

Judi said:
Diono hasn't answered the question about the article yet. It was posted on their wall 7 hours ago. Maybe she has learned to wait, and talk to some people before posting.

Diono registered a I don't know what you call it, but at the webnar about something a few months ago, Joe Collela gave us a website where you can go and look up that letter from diono, which urges nhtsa or whoever it is behind the latch changes to make the limit higher because they've done testing, which finds the latch bars much stronger.

News The 2014 changes to LATCH

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