News The 2014 changes to LATCH

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4boysmom

New member
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.

So they have been aware of Diono's findings for several months yet still published this statement. That leaves us with a few possabilities
a)NHTSA read the reports but did not come to the same conclusion
b)SuperLatch really is super (but this ruling will null and void that anyhow)
c) they read and agree with the report that post 2005 LATCH anchors are awesome but pre 2005 ones are iffy/bad and/or non- superlatch is subpar to superlatch and are making a CYA blanket policy rather than say every other brand is not compatible but one brand. made after a certain time is okay....
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
4boysmom said:
So they have been aware of Diono's for several months yet still published this statement. That leaves us with a few possabilities
a)NHTSA read the reports but did not come to the same conclusion
b)SuperLatch really is super (but this ruling will null and void that anyhow)
c) they read and agree with the report that post 2005 LATCH anchors are awesome but pre 2005 ones are iffy/bad and/or non- superlatch is subpar to superlatch and are making a CYA blanket policy rather than say every other brand is not compatible but one brand. made after a certain time is okay....

I think it's kind of all of those.

Sunshine Kids was (I believe) the only manufacturer to submit a statement to NHTSA opposing the proposed rule. (There's a public input period during which it was submitted.) Obviously Diono has an interest in maintaining the status quo.

NHTSA chose to err on the side of caution. Whether because SuperLATCH really isn't safe or whether things had just gotten confusing, I don't know.

Certainly a better (IMO) solution would be to rate anchors for what they can really hold and require manufacturers to clearly label the LATCH limit on their seats. There could be many reasons why this wasn't done. It could be general government inefficiency. It could be lobbying pressure from...someone. It could be that there's too much discrepancy between pre- and post-2005 anchors. Could be something else.
 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
This reminds me how, way back when I was certified in '01, that they were saying that techs were going to become a thing of the past because LATCH was going to make carseat installs so easy we weren't going to be needed anymore. Now you need an engineering degree to be a tech to figure all this crap out, lol!
 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
From Diono's Facebook.

Diono wrote: "Not every child restraint is designed for high weight LATCH use like the Radian. Parents should not be prevented from buying a seat that offers a higher level of safety and protection for their child. Every vehicle with lower anchors have to meet the same standard. The Radian is tested with those anchors. The steel frame, heavy duty connector with 4 "teeth" and crash testing at 35 mph, ensures the Radian is capable of LATCH installation to the full capacity of the seat.

Keep in mind, IF the ruling does go into effect beginning Feb of 2014, the anchors in the vehicles are not changing their standards.

As of now, if you vehicle was mfg after Sept 2005, you may keep your Radian installed to the maximum weight limit of the seat.

Interesting...stay tuned. Thanks for posting a very important question. If you need further information you are welcome to call our certified Child Passenger Safety Instructor, Allana Pinkerton 855-463-4666 ext 252"
 

bnsnyde

New member
I always questioned if the weight of the seat mattered...it seemed it should at some point.

But we've put people on the moon. Can't car companies just make these things stronger and standard to a certain amount of (high) weight? I mean, they have 2 years to work on it!

And are they going to tell you not to tether bigger kids? That's awful.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
NicoleCPST said:
Ok, so Diono still approves disregarding the vehicle LATCH limits, even when NHTSA is saying that they can't gaurantee that the same lower anchors will work above 65 lbs. Good to know :/

It's very possible that Diono is correct and NHTSA is just being overly cautious or just trying to standardize things. Or not. I really have no idea.

The "IF it goes into effect" is curious, though. My understanding is that NHTSA has already decided and it's a done deal. Is there an "appeals process," or some such procedure? I wonder what they're working on.
 

4boysmom

New member
Ok, so Diono still approves disregarding the vehicle LATCH limits, even when NHTSA is saying that they can't gaurantee that the same lower anchors will work above 65 lbs. Good to know :/

yeah... and I especially "like" :rolleyes: how they throw in the bit about don't let this dissuade you from buying "a seat that offers a higher level of safety and protection for their child"... aka keep buying the Radian (even though it will barely we usable "superLATCH or not in 2014 for LATCH installs) because we have a "higher level of safety and protection..". Radian "bubble" much? It is only known to be "safer" if it fits better and is used more correctly than other seats. SuperLATCH does not make the Radian any better than any other seat.
 

erind

Member
This thread made me switch to a seatbelt install in my 2003 van. Not so sure I will use latch anymore...
 

Kac

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Wow! A new mom who's seat I checked today at work was telling me about this.
 
I am just seeing this fort he first time today.... My son's Frontier can ONLY be installed with LATCH in my van. My 7 year old son alone weights 42 lbs. Do I need to go and get him another seat???

What is this business with not recommending tethers for older children?!?! Both my 7 year old and 4 year old have tethers in use
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Safe Kids is being ridiculously obtuse on the tether issue, IMNSHBESCO. Ahem.

What vehicle do you have? Unless your vehicle states a higher limit, the Frontier's is 40, If your vehicle states a higher limit, then it could be used up to 48. I wouldn't switch just because there are new regulations coming in a few years if you're happy with your install. (But, what van do you have??? Usually one or another method works for the Frontier if you try a few seating positions with different seatbelts.)
 

Holly

New member
Should I be worried about this? I like having Josh's seat LATCHed in so that my other kids can't accidentally unbuckle it. He's in a SK Radian 80 SL but I'm using the LATCH strap from my older radian because I don't trust Super latch. He's in the 2nd row middle seat of my 2005 Toyota Sienna.
He's 3 and about 30 lbs.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
It's not retroactive. We're not seeing massive instances of LATCH failure. While I'm personally paranoid about the system and have been for a long time, and usually prefer the seatbelt, I'm not thinking any kind of panic is warranted or that anyone who is using their seat according to both seat and vehicle weight limits should be concerned.
 
Safe Kids is being ridiculously obtuse on the tether issue, IMNSHBESCO. Ahem.

What vehicle do you have? Unless your vehicle states a higher limit, the Frontier's is 40, If your vehicle states a higher limit, then it could be used up to 48. I wouldn't switch just because there are new regulations coming in a few years if you're happy with your install. (But, what van do you have??? Usually one or another method works for the Frontier if you try a few seating positions with different seatbelts.)

I have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan, 48 lbs limit. I've tried all seat positions and lost about 15 lbs working on it. LOL It's NOT going to be installed anywhere except middle row with LATCH.
 

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