ISOFIX
Encyclopedia
ISOFIX is the international standard for attachment points for child safety seat
s in passenger cars. The system has various other regional names including LATCH ("Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children") in the United States
and LUAS ("Lower Universal Anchorage System") or Canfix in Canada
. It has also been called the "Universal Child Safety Seat System" or UCSSS.
ISOFIX is International Organisation for Standardisation standard ISO 13216, which specifies the anchoring system for Group 1 child safety seats. It defines standard attachment points to be manufactured into cars, enabling compliant child safety seats to be quickly and safely secured. ISOFIX is an alternative to securing the seat with seat belt
s. Seats are secured with a single attachment at the top (top tether) and two attachments at the base of each side of the seat. The full set of anchor points for this system were required in new cars in the United States starting in September 2002.
In Europe the system is known as ISOFIX and covers both Group 0/0+ and Group 1 child safety seats. The mechanism for attaching the seat to the Lower Anchors is quite different from that in the United States. In Europe two "alligator-like" clips connect the seat to the Lower Anchors rather than the open clip style connectors commonly used in the United States. However, some carseat manufactures are beginning to offer true ISOFIX type attachments in the U.S. In the European standard, there are also various installation categories: "universal", "vehicle-specific" and "semi-universal". The main difference is that "Universal" represents use of a top tether strap
with the ISOFIX anchorage, "vehicle-specific" represents the usage of the ISOFIX anchorage without the TopTether in specified vehicles only, while "Semi-Universal" represents usage of the ISOFIX anchorage together with a "foot-prop".
For Group 2/3 seats there is a system called ISOFIT which anchors the seat to the vehicle so it cannot slide around when not in use. In the case of Isofit, the child is held into the seat using the vehicle's existing seat belt system, not the safety seat's straps.
Child safety seat
Child safety seats are seats designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during collisions. Automobile manufacturers may integrate child safety seats directly into their vehicle's design...
s in passenger cars. The system has various other regional names including LATCH ("Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children") in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and LUAS ("Lower Universal Anchorage System") or Canfix in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It has also been called the "Universal Child Safety Seat System" or UCSSS.
ISOFIX is International Organisation for Standardisation standard ISO 13216, which specifies the anchoring system for Group 1 child safety seats. It defines standard attachment points to be manufactured into cars, enabling compliant child safety seats to be quickly and safely secured. ISOFIX is an alternative to securing the seat with seat belt
Seat belt
A seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...
s. Seats are secured with a single attachment at the top (top tether) and two attachments at the base of each side of the seat. The full set of anchor points for this system were required in new cars in the United States starting in September 2002.
In Europe the system is known as ISOFIX and covers both Group 0/0+ and Group 1 child safety seats. The mechanism for attaching the seat to the Lower Anchors is quite different from that in the United States. In Europe two "alligator-like" clips connect the seat to the Lower Anchors rather than the open clip style connectors commonly used in the United States. However, some carseat manufactures are beginning to offer true ISOFIX type attachments in the U.S. In the European standard, there are also various installation categories: "universal", "vehicle-specific" and "semi-universal". The main difference is that "Universal" represents use of a top tether strap
Strap
A strap, sometimes also called strop, is an elongated flap or ribbon, usually of fabric or leather.Thin straps are used as part of clothing or baggage, or bedding such as a sleeping bag. See for example spaghetti strap, shoulder strap...
with the ISOFIX anchorage, "vehicle-specific" represents the usage of the ISOFIX anchorage without the TopTether in specified vehicles only, while "Semi-Universal" represents usage of the ISOFIX anchorage together with a "foot-prop".
For Group 2/3 seats there is a system called ISOFIT which anchors the seat to the vehicle so it cannot slide around when not in use. In the case of Isofit, the child is held into the seat using the vehicle's existing seat belt system, not the safety seat's straps.