Design Fixes

Top Tethers - a top tether is the supplemental attachment now standard on almost every new vehicle sold in the US. A top tether is a strap that connects the top of the child seat to an anchor mounted in the vehicle at a location behind the child seat. It is designed to prevent the forward or lateral excursion of the child seat. Most vehicles sold since 1989, have factory locations for the installation of a tether anchor. In comparison crash testing, child seats with top tethers reduce head excursion. More importantly, tethered child seats tend to reduce head accelerations and neck loads.

The GM Love Seat was introduced in 1973. It incorporated a top tether strap because it resulted in a reduction of head excursion of approximately 12 inches.

LATCH - this stands for lower anchors and tethers. LATCH became mandatory on new cars September 1, 2002. With the LATCH system, there is no need to use the vehicle belts. The goal behind the LATCH system was to eliminate misuse through loose seats and misrouted belts. LATCH has not been the panacea however. Multiple configurations of how to affix child seats have been produced which have lead to confusion in how to affix the child seat to the latch in the vehicle.

The safety principle behind a top tether and the LATCH system is to couple the child seat to the vehicle as tightly as possible. Eliminating looseness also explains why all child seats now use a 5-point harness rather than a 3-point harness. Coupling the seat and the child allows for a longer ride-down period, eliminates excessive forward and lateral excursion and decreases deadly forces on the child's head, neck and torso.