Manufacturers Allowing LATCH With Boosters Offer Conflicting Instructions
Evenflo Announces New, Retroactive Recommendations

     Evenflo announced at Lifesavers that it would now retroactively allow its combination CRs to be attached with the full LATCH system while in the booster mode (previously, only use of the tether was permitted).  Use of LATCH in booster mode is a user option, not a requirement, because some designated lower anchor LATCH positions do not align with the vehicle seat belts, and this could therefore lead to poor seat belt fit on the child or make buckling impossible.  
     The language that will appear in appropriate Evenflo instructions is: “We do permit the use of tethers and lower anchors for belt positioning boosters, as long as the position of the booster seat in the vehicle and/or the resulting fit of the auto belt over the child are not affected.”
     By allowing the use of LATCH in booster mode, Evenflo boosters join a growing number of such products with this option.  One clear benefit to installing the BPB with a tether and/or lower attachments is that it removes the potential for the BPB to become a hazardous flying object in a crash.   Documented injuries to other passengers have occurred due to loose BPBs (see SRN Jan/Feb 2008). 
     However, at this time there seems to be less concrete evidence and agreement about how attachment with LATCH impacts BPB performance in a crash.  Should a BPB stay firmly in place or should it be free to move with the occupant in a crash – or does it really make a difference?  We are currently hearing opposing answers to these questions among manufacturers.
     Dorel continues to be firm in its advice that LATCH should never be used to attach its boosters, stating that crash test results back up its position that the booster should be free to move with the child in a crash.
     Learning Curve agrees that a booster should be free to move in a crash, but takes a different approach than Dorel with its new Pathway booster.  Rather than not allowing attachment, the Pathway BPB comes with lower attachments on a flexible strap that is a fixed length (no adjuster).  In this way, the BPB cannot become a dangerous object in a crash, but it won’t be held too tightly.  As explained by Learning Curve representative John Riedl, “We do not want it [the booster] very tight as it would interfere with the performance of the seat.”
     Evenflo has also used crash testing as the basis of its new guidance to allow LATCH, yet for its products it has come to a different conclusion. When asked how tightly the booster seat should be installed if the user opts to attach it, Evenflo states that the same installation guidelines that apply for use with the internal harness (no more than 1” movement) would apply to the booster.  If attached, the strap should never be left loose.
     On this point, Sunshine Kids representative Russ Berger offers yet another guideline: When using the optional LATCH strap that comes with Sunshine Kids’ Monterey booster, the strap may be either tightened or kept loose. 
     In its website’s FAQ section, Britax recommends that users pull the lower connectors tight with “reasonable effort” when using its Frontier CR in booster mode, though the 1” rule needn’t be strictly followed. 
     Since manufacturers know and test their own products, users clearly need to carefully follow advice about specific use, and use of lower attachment and tethers for boosters is no exception.  Usage details for LATCH with boosters will be further explored in the upcoming 2011 LATCH Manual.

©Safe Ride News May/June 2010