fold seats AUDI A6 2017 Owners Manual

from 1 through 5. You can switch the selected massage on/off using the button @~
page 50,
fig.
so.
Lumbar support -you can ad just the lumbar sup­
port up/down and to be stronge r/weaker .
Side section seat * -you can inc rease/decrease
the latera l s u pport in the seat using the side bol­
sters a t the seat su rface and the back res t.
Upp er thigh support * -yo u can increase/de­
crease the upper t high suppo rt.
@ Tips
- The massage function switches off a uto­
matically after approx imately 10 minutes.
- The air in the s ide bolsters* is released as
soon as the driver's door opens. This makes i s possibl e to enter and exit the vehicl e
more comfortab ly. As soon as you s tart driv­
i ng the ve hicle, the s ide bo lsters fi ll.
Center armrest
There is a storage compartment under the arm­
rest.
F ig. 52 Center armrest between the driver 's/fron t pas ­
se nge r's seats.
Adjusting the center armr est
... To adjust the ang le, raise the armrest from the
sta rt ing pos it ion .
... To bri ng the armrest bac k into t he starting po­
s it ion, ra ise it o ut of the top notch and fold it
back down.
co Opening the storage compartment co ....
~ ... Press the b utton -a rrow- upward . N .... 0 0 <.,;) 'SI"
Seats and storag e
Head restraints
Front head restraints
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints
Fig. 5 3 Front seat: adj ust ing the head restra int
Adjust the head restraints so t he upper edge is as
even as possible with the top of yo ur head . If that
is not possible, try to adjust as close to th is posi­
t ion as poss ible. Push the head restraint as close
as possible to the back of the head.
" To
move the head restraint up or forward
~ fig . 53, s lide it un til it locks into place .
" To
move the head restra int down or back, press
t he button on the side -ar row- and s lide the
head rest raint until it locks into pla ce.
A WARNING
- Always read and follow the app licab le warn­
ings~
& in Proper adjustment of head re­
straints on page 132 .
-Driving w ith the head restra ints no t in the
up right position increases the r is k of se rious
in jury.
51

Seats and storage
_& WARNING
-Do not put any hot beverages in the cup
holder while the vehicle is moving. Hot bev­
erages could spill, which can cause injury.
- Do not use any breakable beverage contain­
ers (for example, made out of glass or por ­
celain) . You could be injured by them in the
event of an accident.
0 Note
Beverage containers in the cup holders should
always have a lid . If not, beverages could spill
and cause damage to vehicle equipment, such
electronics or seat covers .
Cooled glove compartment
Applies to: veh icles with cooled glove compartment
The cooled glove compartment only functions
when the
AIC system is switched on.
Fig. 64 Glove compar tm ent: s witch in g coo ling mode on/
off
~ Turn the knob@ counter-clockwise to switch
the cooling on . The symbols on the knob indi­
cate the correct position.
~ Turn the knob @ clockwise to switch the cool-
ing off .
The glove compartment cooling mode only func­
tions when the vehicle A/C system is switched on .
If the heating is switched on, switching the glove
compartment cooling mode off is recommended.
Other storage compartments
You will find a range of storage compartments
and holders at different locations in the vehicle.
56
- Compartments in the doors
-Compartment in the glove compartment
(cooled*) . The glove compartment can be
locked using the mechanical key.
- Glasses holder* in the headliner (near the rear­
view mirror)
- Storage compartment under the front center
armrest*
- Compartments* on the backrests of the front
seats
- Garment hooks on the sides of the pillars in the
rear of the vehicle and in the rear grab handles
- Compartment in the rear center armrest
- Two folding hooks*, that are at the upper side
of the luggage compartment
_& WARNING
- To reduce the risk of personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed while driving.
- Always keep the lid of the compartment for
(sun)glasses* closed while driving to reduce
the risk of injury during a sudden braking
maneuver or in the event of an accident .
- Any articles of clothing that you have hung
up must not interfere with the driver's view.
The coat hooks are designed only for light­
weight clothing. Never hang any clothing
with hard, pointed or heavy objects in the pockets on the coat hooks. During sudden
braking or in an accident -especially if the
airbag is deployed - these objects could in­
jure any passengers inside the vehicle .
- Read and follow all WARNINGS
c::> page 167, Important safety instructions
on the side airbag system.
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do not
impair the driver 's vision .
-
- The coat hooks must only be used for light­
weight clothing . Do not leave any heavy or
sharp edged objects in the pockets which
may interfere with the side curtain airbag
deployment and can cause personal injury in
a crash.
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging cloth­
ing on the coat hooks as this can interfere

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with proper deployment of the side curtain
airbags in an accident.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat
hooks, as they could cause personal injury in
a sudden stop.
CD Note
Objects on the rear shelf that rub against the
rear window can damage the rear window
heating wires.
Roof rack
App lies to: ve hicles with roof rac k
~
------~~ ~
Fig. 65 Attachm ent points for the roof rack
If luggage or cargo is to be carried on the roof,
you must observe the following:
- Only a specially designed roof rack may be used
on your vehicle. These roof racks are the basis
for a complete roof rack system. Additional at ­
tachments/carrier systems are necessary to
transport luggage and sports equipment . We
recommend roof racks and attachments from
the Audi Genuine Accessories program.
- When installing the roof rack, make sure that it
is mounted only at the designated points on
the roof
c> fig . 65 .
- The permissible roof load for your vehicle is
220 lbs (100 kg). The roof load is the total of
the weight of the roof rack, the attachments
and the cargo you are carrying . However, you
must also note the permitted load of the carri­
er system being used. For the permitted axle
load and the permitted total vehicle weight, re­
fer to
c> page 255.
Seats and storage
A WARNING
--Follow the installation instructions provided
with the roof rack system. If you do not se­ cure the roof rack system and objects on the
roof correctly, they could come loose from
the vehicle and cause an accident.
- Using a roof rack system increases the r isk
of an accident, because it changes the driv­
ing characteristics by shifting the center of
gravity and/or the increasing the surface
area exposed to wind. Adapt your driving
and speed to the current cond itions.
CD Note
Make sure that the luggage compartment lid
and the sunroof* do not come into contact
with objects on the roof when they are open.
(,® For the sake of the environment
Your vehicle will require more fuel due to the
increased wind resistance. So remove the roof
rack after using it.
Luggage compartment
General information
A WARNING ~
Read and follow the important safety precau-
tions in
c> page 134, Storing cargo correctly .
Increasing the size of the luggage
compartment
Applies to : vehicles wit h folding back rests
The rear seat backrests can be folded forward ei­
ther separately or together.
Fig. 66 Backrest: re lease lever, securing knob a nd lock*
57

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Storage hooks
Applies to: vehicles with bag hooks
Fig. 69 Luggage compartment : storage hooks
You can also use the hooks to hang light purses,
bags, etc .
A WARNING
The hooks can hold a maximum weight of 6.6
lbs (3 kg). Heavier objects are not adequately
secured. There is risk of personal injury.
Pass-through with ski bag
Applies to: vehicles with pass-through and ski bag
Long objects, such as skis or snowboards, con be
transported in the ski bog* .
Fig. 70 Backrest : pass-through cover
.. To load the ski sack in the vehicle, fold the rear
center armrest down.
"'Fold the pass-through cover down
c:;, fig. 70.
"'Push the packed bag* through the opening
from the luggage compartment . The zipper
must face toward the rear .
.. Secure the bag
c:;, page 59.
Seats and storage
(D Tips
You can also open the pass-through from the
luggage compartment. Push the release but­
ton down and push the cover forward.
Securing the ski bag (5 seats*)
Appl ies to : vehicles with pass-through and ski bag
The ski bag* must be secured
Fig. 71 Rear bench seat: sec uring the ski sack
"' Stick the strap @on the bag in the center safe­
ty belt @¢
fig. 71 .
"'Tighten and secure the strap ©
A WARNING
- The bag is only intended for transporting
skis and other light objects. To reduce the
risk of serious injuries, never transport
heavy or sharp objects in the bag.
-After loading, the bag must be secured with
the strap.
- Make sure that all objects that you are transporting in the pass-through are secure.
They could slide around and increase the risk of injury when braking or during an acci­
dent .
(D Tips
- Only fold the bag up if it is dry.
- When transporting skis or snowboards,
tighten the securing strap between the
bindings.
- Lay skis in the bag with the points facing
forward and snowboards and ski pole points
facing the rear.
-
59

Driving safety
"' Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c;, page SO.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in­
jured by an airbag as it unfolds . To help re­
duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out ­
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in­
jury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the su pplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
properly and make sure that all passengers
are properly restrained .
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
130
-
-Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must always ride in child seats
c;,page 171. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c:;, page 147.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident , we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
"'Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position and your back comes in full
contact with it whenever the vehicle is moving.
"'For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
c:;, page 131 . Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possible.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c;,page 142.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c:;, page SO .
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or killed by the airbag as it
unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
Ill-

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-Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri­
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas­
senger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­ ger's knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front pas­
senger seat properly.
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly.
-Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
c> page 171. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c> page 147.
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
ing:
Driving safety
.,. For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
c>page 131.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
c> page 142.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and ager:!;>
page 171.
A WARNING
-
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
tioned on the body and securely latched. By not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger in­
creases the risk of personal injury from im­
properly positioned safety belts!
- For adjustable head restraints: always ad­
just the head restraint properly so that it
can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to: vehicles with adjusta ble head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor ­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 141 Head restraint: viewed from the front
131

Airbag system
-Therefore, always wear your safety belts and
make sure that everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained.
- Always hold the steering wheel with both
hands on the outside of the steering wheel
rim at the 9:00 o 'clock and 3 :00 o'clock po­
sitions to help reduce the risk of personal in ­
jury if the driver's airbag inflates .
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands any­
where inside the steering wheel or on the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering
wheel the wrong way increases the risk of
severe injury to the arms, hands, and head if
the driver airbag deploys.
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash by interfer­
ing with the way the airbag unfolds and/or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
- Always make sure nothing is in the front air-
-
bag deployment zone that could be struck
by the airbag when it inflates.
- Objects in the zone of a deploying airbag
can become projectiles when the airbag de­
ploys and cause serious personal injury.
- Never hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle is in use .
- Never place accessories or other objects
(such as cup holders, telephone brackets,
note pads, navigation systems, or things
that are large, heavy, or bulky) on the doors;
never attach then to the doors or the wind­
shield; never place them over or near or at­
tach them to the area marked ,.AIRBAG" on
the steering wheel, instrument panel or the
seat backrests; never place them between
these areas and you or any other person in
the vehicle.
- Never attach objects to the windshield
above the passenger front airbag, such as
accessory GPS navigation units or music
players. Such objects could cause serious in­
jury in a collision, especially when the air­ bags inflate .
152
-Never recline the front passenger seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the deployment area of the side airbags or
the front airbag during breaking or in a sud­
den maneuver . Objects near the airbags can
fly dangerously through the passenger com­
partment and cause injury, particularly
when the seat is reclined and the airbags in­
flate.
A WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat, espe­
cially infants and small children, will receive
serious injuries and can even be killed by be­ ing too close to the airbag when it inflates .
- Although the Advanced Airbag System in
-
your vehicle is designed to turn off the front
passenger airbag if an infant or a small child
is on the front passenger seat, nobody can
absolutely guarantee that deployment un­
der these special conditions is impossible in
all conceivable situations that may happen
during the useful life of your vehicle.
- The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in
accordance with the .,low risk" option for 3-
and 6-year-old children under the U.S . Fed­
eral Standard if a child with electrical capac­
itance greater than the combined capaci­
tance of a typical one-year old infant re­
strained in one of the forward facing or rear­
ward-facing child seats with which your ve­
hicle was certified is on the front passenger
seat and the other conditions for airbag de­
ployment are met.
- Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the front seating position.
- For their own safety, all children, especially
12 years and younger, should always ride in
the back properly restrained for their age and size.
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced
Airbag System in compliance with United States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208, as
well as Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard ..,.

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A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in­
flates, always wear safety belts properly.
- If you are unrestrained, lean ing forward, sit­
t ing s ideways or out of pos ition in anyway,
your risk of injury is much h igher.
- You will also receive serious injur ies and
could even be killed if you are up aga inst the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag¢
page 147.
More important things to know about front
airbags
F ig. 155 Inflated front airbags
Safety belts are important to help keep front
seat occupants in the p roper seated position so
that a irbags can unfold properly and provide sup­
p lemental protection in a frontal collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide addi­
tional protection for the chest a nd face of the
d river and the front seat passenger when:
- safety belts are worn properly,
- the seats have been positioned so that the oc-
cupant is properly seated as far as possible
from the airbag,
- and for adjustable head restraints: the head re-
straints have been properly adjusted.
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with
great force, things you have on your lap or have placed on the seat could become dangerous pro­
jectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag in­
flates .
When an a irbag deploys, fine dust is released .
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the
veh icle. Th is dust is made up mostly of a powder
Airb ag sys tem
used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy. It
could irritate skin.
It is important to remember that wh ile the sup­
plementa l airbag system is designed to red uce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injur ies,
for example swelling, bruising and minor abra­ s ions, can also happen when airbags inflate. Air­
bags do not protect the arms or the lower parts
of the body. Front airbags supplement the three­
point safety belts on ly in some frontal collisions
in which the vehicle deceleration is high e nough
to deploy the airbags .
Fron t airb ags will not depl oy:
- if the ignition is switched off when a crash oc-
curs,
- in side collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in rollovers,
- when t he crash deceleration measured by the
airbag system is less than the m in imum thresh­
old needed for airbag dep loyment as registe red
by the electronic control unit.
Th e front passenger airbag also will not
deplo y:
- when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
- when the e lectr ica l ca pacitance measured by
the capacitive passenger detection system for
the front passenger seat indicates that the pas­
senger s ide frontal a irbag must be switched off
by the electronic control unit (the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light¢ page 159 and how they
work comes on and stays on).
A WARNING
-Sitt ing in the wrong position can increase the
risk of ser ious injury in crashes.
- To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags
inflate, the drive r and passengers must al­
ways sit in an up right posit ion, must not
lea n aga inst or place any part of their body
too close to the area where the airbags are located .
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be serio usly
injured by an airbag as it unfolds with great
force in the blink of an eye¢
page 148. ~
157

Airbag system
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat instal­
led on the front passenger seat will be seri ­
ously injured and can be killed if the front air­
bag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child seat or
infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child seat and child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child seats on the
rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear­
facing child seat in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash by interfer­
ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by be­
ing pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
- Never hold things in your hands or on your
lap when the vehicle is in use .
- Never transport items on or in the area of
the front passenger seat . Objects could
move into the area of the front airbags dur­
ing braking or other sudden maneuvers and
become dangerous projectiles that can
cause serious personal injury if the airbags
inflate.
- Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets , large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "A IRBAG" on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These objects
could cause injury in a crash, especially
when the airbags inflate .
- Never recline the front passenger 's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the area of the side airbag or the front air-
158
-
bag during braking or in a sudden maneu­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become
projectiles and cause injury, particularly
when the seat is reclined.
- Never place or transport objects on the
front passenger seat. Objects on the front passenger seat could cause the capacitive
sensor in the seat to signal to airbag system
that the seat is occupied by a person when it
in fact is not , or that the person on the seat
is heavier than he or she actually is. The
change in electric capacitance because of
such objects can cause the passenger front
airbag to be turned on when it should be
off, or can cause the airbag to work in a way
that is different from the way it would have
worked without objects on the seat.
- Always make sure that there is nothing on
the front passenger seat that will cause the
capacitive passenger detection system in
the seat to signal to the Airbag System that
the seat is occupied by a person when it is not, or to signal that it is occupied by some­
one who is heavier than the person actually
sitting on the seat. The presence of an ob­
ject could cause the passenger front airbag to be turned on when it should be off, or
could cause the airbag to work in a way that is different from the way it would have
worked without the object on the seat.
A WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can
cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing condi­
tions .
- To reduce the risk of breathing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory con­
ditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening win­
dows or doors .
- If you are in a collision in which airbags de­
ploy , wash your hands and face with mild
soap and water before eating.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes,
or into any cuts or scratches.
- If the residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water .

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the child restraint is installed is in an up­
right position and securely latched into
place and cannot fold forward. Otherwise,
the seatback with the child safety seat at­
tached to it could f ly forward in the event of
an accident or other emergency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a veh icle is
being used¢
page 171. Specia l precaut ions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat¢
page 148, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know.
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when
the belt is wound all the way back into the re­
tractor .
~ Press the red button on the safety belt buckle.
The belt tongue will pop out of the buckle.
~ Guide the safety belt all the way back into its
stowed position .
Always let the safety belt retract completely into
its stowed position. The safety belt can now be
used as an ordinary safety belt without the con­
vertible locking retractor for child restraints.
If the convertible locking retractor should be ac­
tivated inadvertently, the safety belt must be un­
fastened and guided completely back into its
stowed position to deact ivate this feature. If the
convert ible locking retractor is not deactivated,
the safety belt w ill gradually become tighter and
uncomfortable to wear.
_& WARNING
-
Improperly installed chi ld safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a collision.
- Never unfasten the safety belt to deactivate
the convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints while the vehicle is moving . You
Child safety
would not be restrained and could be seri­
ously injured in an accident.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
be ing used
¢page 171. Special precautions
apply when install ing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat¢
page 148, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know.
LATCH system (lower
anchorages and tethers
for children)
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To provide a simpler and more practicab le way to
attach the child restraint on the vehicle seat,
Federal regulations require special lower ancho­
rages in vehicles and devices on new child re­
straints to attach to the vehicle anchorages .
In the United States, the combination of the
tether anchorages and the lower anchorages is
now generally called the LATCH system for
"Lower Anchorages and Tethers for Children". In
Canada, the terms "top tether" with "lower uni­
versa l anchorages" (or "lower universal anchor­
age bars") are used to descr ibe the system .
In other countries the term "ISOFIX" is used to
describe the lower anchorages .
Forward-facing child restraints manufactured af­
ter September 1, 1999 , are required by U.S. fed­
eral regulations to comply with new child head
movement performance req uirements. These
new performance requirements make a tether
necessary on most new ch ild seats.
Installing a child restraint that requires a top
tethe r without one can seriously impair the per­
formance of the child restraint and its ab ility to
protect the child in a collision. Installing a child
restra int that requi res a top tether without the
top tether may be a violation of state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH lower
anchorages on their child seats w ith hook-on or ..,.
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