Most new vehicles are equipped with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) hardware, designed to make it easier for all parents to install child seats correctly. Instead of securing the child seat with vehicle safety belts, LATCH provides dedicated lower anchors and tether anchors to help you get the right fit for your child’s safety seat.
This model goes from Marginal to Good+ for easy child restraint installation. https://t.co/4hfX77aqlw pic.twitter.com/KkPSOUsWhp
— IIHS (@IIHS_autosafety) September 1, 2016
Not all LATCH systems are alike, however, and in June 2015, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) launched a new test category -- LATCH ease-of-use.
In the IIHS report on "Ratings for child seat installation hardware improve after 1 year", an IIHS senior research engineer named Jessica Jermakian said, "Frustrating child seat installations have become a familiar rite of parenthood. Unfortunately, these frustrations lead to mistakes that can have real consequences in the event of a crash."
Unsurprisingly to many parents, the majority of vehicles scored abysmally. The 2015 Prius had confusing, unlabeled hardware, and the lower anchors were too deep in the seat cushions, making them difficult to maneuver around. It earned a Marginal LATCH rating.
Fortunately, when the test results were announced, the next-generation 2016 Toyota Prius was under development. The design team quickly integrated a solution to make the lower anchors a breeze to find and use. You will now find easily accessible and visible lower anchors tucked behind a fabric flap, giving you the ability to quickly install your child’s safety seat when the flap is raised. The three top tethers in the new Prius are located behind the rear seats, and are marked by clear signage for added convenience.
The improvements to the LATCH system were so spot-on, the 2016 Prius was one of only three vehicles to earn a Good+ rating, making it one of the easiest cars you'll ever install a child seat in.
Looking for a reliable and safe family vehicle? Bring your child seat along when you test drive new cars at Frank Fletcher Toyota! We offer a comprehensive selection of brand new Toyota cars for sale at our Joplin Toyota dealership, and our Toyota sales team can help you find the right one to suit your family’s transportation needs.
