# How bad is it to not tether?



## LiLStar (Jul 7, 2006)

Allie is ff in a marathon. We have a suzuki aerio hatchback. The tethering point is on the floor right where the door opens, so when tethered, the straps go all the way across the trunk diagonally, rendering it useless. We can still put groceries and small things back there, but if we want to bring the stroller, we have to unhook the tether. Not to mention driving up to my mom's to spend the night. Its really just a crappy design on suzuki's part


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## jlovesl (Dec 19, 2008)

Well in Canada it's against the law not to tether(forward facing seat). But take your car to the dealer they can install another tether latch for you. And it protects the seat from flipping forward in a collision. The baby may still be in the carseat but FACE PLANTED to the front seat(NOT GOOD)!!!...


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## LiLStar (Jul 7, 2006)

Oh thats a great idea.. Ill look up dealers nearby


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## LiLStar (Jul 7, 2006)

Hmm. Well I found one dealer and I called them up and they said they can't do it because of liability. He said to try the dmv and they might have a list of places that can do it?


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## lemurmommies (Jan 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LiLStar* 
Hmm. Well I found one dealer and I called them up and they said they can't do it because of liability. He said to try the dmv and they might have a list of places that can do it?

If your car already has tether anchors in place, regardless of location, in my experience dealers will not install "after market" ones.


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## prettymatty (Feb 2, 2009)

Hi
I worked at a car dealership and yes they can install the new tether hook for you. Their service department should have them in stock in case people come in with cars that don't have them installed yet. Did you take you car to a Suzuki dealership? After I met Kevin and he started spending time with my older dd, we took his Acura to a autobody shop where they installed it for just the cost of the hook -$20ish.


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## jlovesl (Dec 19, 2008)

Check your local fire department.


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## jlovesl (Dec 19, 2008)

I too know it can be done. Older cars were not fitted with them. When it became law, I know a lot of people who had them installed. Usually to the back of the seat or on the floor behind the seatof the car.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

(Hi, I'm a CPST.) Dealerships can and will NOT install "extra" tether anchors in cars that come factory-equipped with anchors. There are no extra approved anchor points. If a dealer or mechanic can be convinced to install them, they may not be safe -- because there are no extra approved anchor points.

To the OP, if you choose not to tether, I strongly recommend installing with lap and shoulder belt instead of lower anchors. Normally we say that both systems -- belts and LATCH -- are equally safe, but if you are not using the top tether, you are not using the LATCH system as it was designed.


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## LittleBlessings (May 26, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jlovesl* 
Well in Canada it's against the law not to tether(forward facing seat). But take your car to the dealer they can install another tether latch for you. And it protects the seat from flipping forward in a collision. The baby may still be in the carseat but FACE PLANTED to the front seat(NOT GOOD)!!!...









:


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Tethering is really important, especially when you have a child on the younger side FF'ing (just clicked on the link in your sig, going off of that







). It's not just "face planting" into the front seat that tethering prevents--it reduces head excursion, which reduces how much your child's spine and spinal cord stretches. Obviously you want that to stretch as little as possible!


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

EZOn sells after market TAs, I have one but haven't put it in yet. Maybe this weekend if it wont' snow or rain. It might not work in your car though, the manufacturer may have chosen that place for lack of anywhere else.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Too bad we can't return cars for lousy designs like we could return a vacuum cleaner that doesn't work properly.


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## Smalls181 (May 12, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
EZOn sells after market TAs, I have one but haven't put it in yet. Maybe this weekend if it wont' snow or rain. It might not work in your car though, the manufacturer may have chosen that place for lack of anywhere else.

Can you tell more about this, or give me a link. I have a 97 Saturn, which obviously has no top tether anchors, and True Fit, which requires top tethers for FF. (I wish I would have known that before I bought this seat!) There are no Saturn dealers around here, and the GM dealer said they can't/won't install one.

Thanks


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## SweetPotato (Apr 29, 2006)

May I pop in with a related question? Our car does not have latch, so we have my dd's seat installed ff in the center spot with a lap/shoulder belt (when we use it in my parents' car over vacation it's a lap belt only, still center spot). This is safe, right?


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SweetPotato* 
May I pop in with a related question? Our car does not have latch, so we have my dd's seat installed ff in the center spot with a lap/shoulder belt (when we use it in my parents' car over vacation it's a lap belt only, still center spot). This is safe, right?

Yup, as long as there is no more than 1" of movement at the belt path when isntalled it is perfectly safe. LATCH is no safer than a seatbelt, provided the seat is properly installed. LATCH is sometimes just easier to get a good install with.


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## emilysmama (Jun 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SweetPotato* 
May I pop in with a related question? Our car does not have latch, so we have my dd's seat installed ff in the center spot with a lap/shoulder belt (when we use it in my parents' car over vacation it's a lap belt only, still center spot). This is safe, right?

You don't have a Britax Regent, do you? The Britax Regent, when installed forward facing, requires the tether. So I'm assuming that you have a seat that does not require the top tether?


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## rainyday (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LiLStar* 
The tethering point is on the floor right where the door opens, so when tethered, the straps go all the way across the trunk diagonally, rendering it useless.









Am I understanding this correctly? Your tether point is by the back door on the side of the car opposite to your daughter's seat? If I did understand that correctly, is there a reason you can't move your daughter's seat to the opposite side of the car so that the tether wouldn't have to stretch diagonally across the car but instead go only across one side?


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *emilysmama* 
You don't have a Britax Regent, do you? The Britax Regent, when installed forward facing, requires the tether. So I'm assuming that you have a seat that does not require the top tether?

Just to clarify...the Regent only FF and requires a tether after your child reaches 50 lbs.(or so my manual says)


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
EZOn sells after market TAs, I have one but haven't put it in yet. Maybe this weekend if it wont' snow or rain. It might not work in your car though, the manufacturer may have chosen that place for lack of anywhere else.

I found a tether made by this company but it seems to only be for their vests.Is there another product or is it multifunctional?


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## SweetPotato (Apr 29, 2006)

We have an Evenflo Triumph (don't know which version- it's about 3 years old now- dd is ~34 lbs) Thanks!


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SweetPotato* 
We have an Evenflo Triumph (don't know which version- it's about 3 years old now- dd is ~34 lbs) Thanks!

You are fine with a seatbelt install with that seat. But, if it's yo, know that once your kiddo hits 40 lbs or her shoulders are above the top harness slot you'll need a new seat. My ds outgrew the triumph around 3 by height ffing.


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

A 97 would not come w/ TAs so all you would need to do is get ahold of a Saturn dealer and ask for them to be put in. EZOn would strictly be an alternative possibly for those who have TAs but need more like I do. I have 4 kids, 3 TAs, and my 2 rfing kids take up 2 of those spots which leaves one of my boys w/ no tether.


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## Smalls181 (May 12, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
A 97 would not come w/ TAs so all you would need to do is get ahold of a Saturn dealer and ask for them to be put in. EZOn would strictly be an alternative possibly for those who have TAs but need more like I do. I have 4 kids, 3 TAs, and my 2 rfing kids take up 2 of those spots which leaves one of my boys w/ no tether.

Which is my problem....we have no Saturn dealership around here. The nearest one is 2.5-3 hours away.

Ive been talking with others about this, and they have showed me emails from First Years saying that the top tether is not required for FF, just highly recommended. I am going to call them myself and ask, but if it isn't, then I will feel better. Otherwise, I am probably going to sell it to a friend and get something else.


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

They can't require a top tether for a seat that does not harness past 65#, it's law and it has to pass certain testing w/ and w/out tethers. The tether is better, but it doesn't have to be tethered. Call Saturn, they may be able to send you the tether kit and you can do it yourself. At least then it would be the specific peice you needed. I'd have to look at what tether kit I have in the car from EZOn.


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