News

Checking for Recalls? Don’t Forget the Vehicle

In recent years, recalls directly related to CPS have been more common among vehicles than CRs. And, since all recalls are safety-related, any vehicle recall (including the vastly greater number that are not specifically about CPS) can indirectly harm child passengers. So, the fact that NHTSA says over 50 million vehicles on the road have one or more open recalls is a serious safety concern.

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Ask Katrina: Sometimes, Finding Information for Using CRs in Pickup Trucks Is Half the Battle

In this regular column, SRN shares vehicle-related information from Katrina Rose, SRN collaborator and vehicle liaison for the LATCH Manual. For the March/April 2023 issue, Katrina shared answers to some questions posed by technicians regarding pickup trucks.

Because pickup trucks are very popular while at the same time often challenging for CR use, SRN focuses special attention on understanding them so we can provide helpful guidance in our publications, such as the LATCH Manual.

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“Ask Katrina” Column

Regular column will highlight vehicle-specific tips from SRN’s vehicle specialist

In a new column, “Ask Katrina,” SRN will share vehicle-related CPS information from Katrina Rose, SRN collaborator and vehicle liaison for the LATCH Manual. Katrina regularly fields questions posed by technicians in the field, so this column will provide an opportunity to share her answers and insights with all SRN readers.

We’ll kick off the column with a fundamental question:

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The Truth About “True” Lock-Offs

A few years ago, SRN reported on an emerging phenomenon: CRs with features that looked and acted like lock-offs but weren’t.

Since then, these features have become more common. Nowadays, CPSTs who see anything that looks like a lock-off ask, “Is that a true lock-off?” While a mechanism that functions as a lock-off must be a “true,” authentic lock-off, “true lock-off” has become part of the CPST vernacular when wondering whether a CR part that appears to be a lock-off actually is one.

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Lock-Offs and Their Look-Alikes

It’s important for CPSTs to understand what is (and isn’t) a lock-off

Until 1996, CR installation with a lap-shoulder belt nearly always required using a locking clip to hold the belt tight. This was often difficult (or altogether overlooked), so it was a relief when other solutions came along.

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Is Your CR Hanging Out Too Much?

Understanding CR Overhang

The newly released version of the National CPS Certification Training curriculum does more than earlier versions to introduce the concept of overhang by including a slide and explanation in the technician guide.  It tells students to ensure that the base (footprint) fits on the vehicle seat by checking the CR owner’s manual to learn about overhang, and it says to use the “80/20 guideline” if instructions don’t give other advice.  It points out that some manufacturers require 100% of the footprint to rest on the vehicle cushion and that some vehicle seats are too shallow for some CRs. Read More from “Is Your CR Hanging Out Too Much?”