Safety Experts: Vehicle Built-In Safety Seat Attachments Lacking

DENVER (CBS4)- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said their latest tests show big improvements can be made in the built-in attachment hardware for child safety seats.

IIHS looked at the built-in hardware or LATCH system, which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.

"We evaluated over 100 vehicles and only three earned the top rating of good and more than half were poor or marginal," said IIHS senior research scientist Jessica Jermakian.

The ratings are based on how easy it is to use the hardware. In many vehicles, LATCH can be easily confused with other hardware or almost impossible to spot.

The three vehicles that received the good rating include the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and Volkswagen Passat.

Those rated poor include the Toyota Sienna Minivan, Nissan Altima and Volkswagen Jetta.

"LATCH hardware that is easy to use is more likely to result in a good, tight installation," said Jermakian.

IIHS said car manufacturers need to put the tethers in accessible locations and leave parents enough room to maneuver around them.

IIHS said LATCH hardware with a poor rating still provided the same protection as one with a good rating, at least in this study, but it's more difficult to use.