Top Tether
I find one of the most seen mistakes is people not using a part of the carseat called a top tether. Hopefully this will educate some of you and make you go out to your cars and open your car’s manual to find out where your top tether is!
First – all cars made from late 1999 on are required to have top tethers available in the car (with the exception of some heavy duty and specialty cars). Beyond that, most cars made in the 90′s can be retrofitted with a top tether anchor.
Many people see all the straps added to car seats these days and assume if they have an older car, they cannot use them (or they use them creatively wrapped around anything they can find… don’t do that). The strap that goes through the belt path (the same path you’d put the seatbelt through) is called the Lower Anchor Straps. In vehicles 2003 and newer, you can use these lower anchors to attach your car seat to your cars frame INSTEAD of using the seat belt (never use both… they can work against one another and put too much stress on the sell… no manufacturer allows for this). BUT – just because you don’t have a place for lower anchors, doesn’t mean you can’t use that single strap coming from the top of your shell.
Here’s what it looks like:
It’s webbing, with a hook attached too the end.
Most parents think it’s used to get a tight installation. This is not the case. You want a solid installation, moving no more then 1″ side to side or back and forth (at the belt path) using the lower anchor strap OR the seat belt before you tighten the top tether.
Here is the reason for the top tether:
The seat to the left is not tethered. The seat to the right is.
If you look at these lines, you’ll see how far the child’s body moves in a crash. Seat belts stretch… they are meant too… so even though it’s hard to envision, your seat will actually move quite a bit in a severe crash. Now – imagine this is in your car. How much room does your child have before they will hit the seat in front of them?
Using the top tether prevents head and neck injuries. It can lesson the movement of the head by 8-12 inches. That can mean the difference of a brain injured child and a non-brain injured child.
To secure the child seat to the car, you have options – either lower anchors OR seatbelt – and if used correctly, they are just as effective.
A Top tether is an additional safety feature that should be used at all times if available. This is especially important with larger children. There are many seats on the market that now safely protect children up through 65 or even 85 lbs, and many of these manufacturers highly encourage (or even require) a top tether be used. You can imagine, a 65lb child will move further then a 30lb child just based on physics.
It is important to note – there is an extreme load put on this top tether in an accident. DO NOT simply connect this to any point behind the child. It must be an approved tether anchor. Newer tether anchors are obvious and generally have a little anchor symbol on the cover. Older cars can be tougher to identify. When in doubt, pull out your car’s manual, go to the index, and look up “tether anchors” or “child restrain systems” to find those anchors.
If you have an older car, do a quick search for the car and the word “tether retrofit.” You will generally come up with a forum or other information about retrofit programs. Many car manufacturers will provide at least one tether anchor free of charge. You can also order the parts and install them yourself in some cars (the holes are pre-drilled, and it’s a matter of screwing in the anchor).
If you have a question on your specific car, don’t hesitate to call me, or stop in for a check up. I will be happy to go over your car’s safety features with you!
