Using Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH)
WARNING:
Never attach two child safety seats to the same
anchor. In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold
two child safety seat attachments and may break, causing serious injury
or death.
WARNING:
Depending on where you secure a child restraint,
and depending on the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain safety belt buckle assemblies or LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk
of injury, occupants should only use seating positions where they are
able to be properly restrained.
The LATCH system is composed of three vehicle anchor points: two
lower anchors located where your vehicle seat back and seat cushion
meet (called the seat bight) and one top tether anchor located behind
that seating position.
LATCH compatible child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted
attachments that connect to the two lower anchors at the LATCH
equipped seating positions in your vehicle. This type of attachment
method eliminates the need to use safety belts to attach the child seat,
however the safety belt can still be used to attach the child seat.
For forward-facing child seats, the top tether strap must also be attached
to the proper top tether anchor, if a top tether strap has been provided
with your child seat.
Your vehicle has LATCH lower
anchors for child seat installation
at the seating positions marked
with the child seat symbol.
28
Child Safety
2014 Focus
(foc)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, October 2012
USA
(fus)