(CNN) – Before you pack the kids up for school, you might want to double check the car seat. A study released this morning from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safetysays a lot of parents have trouble installing their child safety seats.
Don’t think you’re dumb or not mechanically inclined. The agency says vehicle seat designs are to blame. I-I-H-S says belt buckles and other seat hardware block the child restraint anchors. Only 21 out of 98 popular vehicles have attachment hardware that make it easier to correctly install restraints.
Researchers used 36 volunteers to test four car seats. Only 13 percent of their tries ended with correct installation.
The attachment system known as LATCH, became required in new cars a decade ago to make it easier to install the safety seats.
The I-I-H-S is a non-profit group financed by the insurance industry.
