Good anchor point in a Prius for tethering a RF MA

[DownTheWell]

Because we are still recovering from the frustration of getting the @#%& thing installed, I'm hoping another Prius owner can just tell me where they tether their rear-facing, center-seat-installed convertible seat.

(If it matters, we have the Britax Marathon rear-facing in the center seat (seatbelt, not LATCH).)

We are not seeing anything relevant in the Prius manual and don't get me started on the Britax instruction manual.

Thank you!

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.

	Britax Marathon - Click for more info Increasing the time a child can safely stay in their convertible car seat is a big issue and Britax engineers have come through in a big way with the introduction of the Britax Marathon with LATCH. A LATCH Compatible Convertible Child Seat, the Britax Marathon can be used rear facing 5 to 33 pounds and forward facing from 20 to 65 pounds. Compare the numbers and you will see it is hard to find a seat with these weight limits that is safe and functional.

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.

[Papooses]

Nope, nothing in the manual -- it's not a standard installation requirement in the US, but it is in Scandinavia (where they keep kids RF til about 50# with much lower rates of injury to this age groupt)....

You can wrap the D-ring around a nonmovable part of the front seats: it was a bear to do this in my mom's Prius, but it did work! The leg of the seat towards the center has a plastic cover that I *think* I needed to pop off, then wiggled the strap through & around, then put the plastic back on.

This was about a year or so ago, though, so I'll try to take another look at her Prius when I'm able

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

[DownTheWell]

Thank you, Papooses! I'll try that.

[Papooses]

Please let me know if this doesn't work -- I just returned from vacation & would be more than happy to take a look at my mom's Prius (it's a 2005)