ARLINGTON, Va. -- Every parent wants their child to be safe in a car. But just about every parent has had to struggle a bit when trying to install a car seat. The good news is that car manufacturers are making it easier to do that.
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety is out with its 2016 ratings of LATCH systems. LATCH stands for "lower anchor tethers for children." The government has required LATCH in rear seats since 2002. But in many vehicles, the anchors can be difficult to access and properly attach the car seat.
The IIHS issued a news release saying it evaluated 170 current model vehicles.
"Three models, the Audi Q7, Lexus RX and Toyota Prius, earn the top rating of good+, a distinction that no vehicle achieved last year," the IIHS said.
In 2015, the IIHS evaluated 102 vehicles and found the majority were poor or marginal.
The IIHS considers a LATCH system good if it meets several criteria, including having anchors that are not too deep and anchors that are easy to maneuver.
This year, the IIHS gave eight models a rating of poor. They are the Chevy Silverado 1500 crew cab, Ford Fiesta sedan, Ford Fiesta hatchback, GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab, Hyundai Accent hatchback, Infinity Q70, Infinity QX50, and Subaru BRZ.
Read the full report from the IIHS.
