Effect of LATCH, a new method of child restraint attachment, on the risk of injury for child occupants (scientific poster).

In 1999, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration introduced Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 225, Child Restraint Anchorage Systems, that required all child restraint systems (CRS) and vehicles be equipped with Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) by model year 2003. This system uses dedicated attachment points in the vehicle rather than the adult seat belt for CRS installation. The benefits of CRS in reducing the risk of injury and fatality for children in motor vehicle crashes have been well documented based on studies of CRS attached to the vehicle by the adult seat belt. (Elliot et al, 2006; Durbin et al, 2005; Arbogast et al, 2004) No study to date has determined the effect of this regulatory change on real world crash risk to children. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the association of CRS attachment (LATCH system vs. seat belt) and risk of injury for children restrained in CRS. (Author/publisher)