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172
Ch ild Saf e ty
LATCH
Lower
anchorages
and tether
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To provide a simpler and more practicable way
to attach the child restraint on the vehicle
seat, Federal regu lations require special lower
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
child restraints to attach to the vehicle ancho-
rages.
The combination of the tether anchorages and
the lower anchorages is now generally called
the
LAT CH system for " Lower Anchorages and
Tethers for Children ."
Forward-facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S.
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements .
These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child seats.
Installing a chi ld restraint that requires a top
tether without one can serious ly impair the
performance of the chi ld restraint and its abi l-
ity to protect the child in a collision. Installing
a child restraint that requires a top tether
without the top tether may be a violation of
state law .
Child restra int manufacturers offer LATCH
lower anchorages on the ir child seats with
hook-on or push-on connectors attached to
adjustable straps .
In addition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these child restraint systems usually require
the use of tether straps to help keep the child
restra int firmly in place .
Tethe r ancho rage s
Your Audi Cabriolet is
not equipped with a
LATCH system. It is not equipped with top
tether anchorages. It is equipped with lower
anchorages only.
Your Cabriolet is equipped with the Active
Rollover Protection System, which is integrat-
ed into the backrest of the rear seat. The Ac-
tive Roll over Protection System dep loys up-
wards to help provide addit ional protection in
certain collisions and crash situations. For this
reason, your vehicle is
not equipped with top
tether anchorages for use with forward -facing
child restra ints .
In Canada , provincial law requ ires that for-
ward-fac ing child restra ints use both top teth-
er anchorages and lower anchorages; there -
fore, it is
not possible to install a forward-fac-
ing child restra int in this vehicle.
In the United States , child restra int installa-
t ion must conform w ith the child restraint
manufacture r's instructions . Check the in-
structions that come w ith the child restra int
or contact the manufactu rer to determine if
the child restraint may be insta ll ed fac ing fo r-
ward witho ut securing the top tether st rap .
A
WARNING
=
Improper installation of child restraints
will increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash.
- Always follow the instr uctions provided
by the manufacturer of the child re-
straint you intend to install in your vehi-
cle.
- Improper use of child restraint LATCH
lower anchorage points can lead to injury
in a collision. The LATC H lower anchorage
points are designed to withstand on ly
those loads imposed by correctly fitted
child restraints.
- Never mount two child restra int systems
on one LATC H lower anchorage point .
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other item to the LATCH lower anchorag-
es.
(D
Tips
In other countries, the term "ISOFIX" is
used to describe the lower anchorages .
-
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