Ever try to install a child safety seat?This model goes from Marginal to Good+ for easy child restraint installation. https://t.co/4hfX77aqlw pic.twitter.com/KkPSOUsWhp
— IIHS (@IIHS_autosafety) September 1, 2016
Until you've done it a few hundred times, it always seems to take longer than the actual drive that you're attempting to make. The new Toyota Prius is looking to change that.
Traditionally, child seats were held in place using the vehicle's safety belt, which would be threaded through attachments on the child seat. But that method could be confusing, especially for new parents, and improperly-fitted seats can have serious consequences in an accident.
To make it easier for parents, babysitters, and guardians to correctly install child seats, most new vehicles now feature LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) equipment.
However, when the IIHS tested the LATCH systems in 102 vehicles last year, the majority were rated as marginal or poor for ease-of-use. Anchors were too difficult to reach, and required a tremendous amount of force to attach to child-seat connectors.
This year, most automakers have improved their equipment, and none so much as the newest Prius model.
"We began by going through our North American vehicles one by one, identifying the issues and prioritizing the solutions that had the biggest impact and could be implemented quickly... Some of the biggest challenges we faced were balancing ease-of-use with safety regulation requirements, comfort, and aesthetics." -Jennifer Pelky, senior engineer at Toyota Technical Center and Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.
The solution they came up with was elegant and functional, and so straightforward that it earned an IIHS Good+ rating.
Not only did the Prius earn the highest-possible rating for its LATCH system, it earned the highest-possible rating for overall crashworthiness -- Top Safety Pick+.
Who knew an efficient compact hybrid could be one of the safest, most family-friendly vehicles on the road? Bring your car seat to Stewart Toyota in Corsicana, and we'll help you fully put a new Prius to the test and see if it's the right choice for your family.
