2004 Honda Civic Owner's Manual - Page 39

Selecting a Child Seat When buying a child seat, you need to choose between a conventional child seat, or one designed for use with the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system. Conventional child seats must be secured to a vehicle with a seat belt, whereas LATCH-compatible seats are secured by attaching the seat to hardware built into the two outer seating positions in the back seat. Since LATCH-compatible child seats are easier to install and reduce the possibility of improper installation, we recommend selecting this style. We also recommend selecting a LATCH-compatible seat with a rigid, rather than a flexible, anchor (see page 38 ). In seating positions and vehicles not equipped with LATCH, a LATCHcompatible child seat can be installed using a seat belt. Whatever type of seat you choose, to provide proper protection, a child seat should meet three requirements: 1. The child seat should meet U.S. or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. Look for FMVSS Before purchasing a conventional child seat, or using a previously purchased one, we recommend that you test the seat in the specific vehicle seating position, or positions, where the seat will be used. 213 or CMVSS 213 on the box. 2. The child seat should be of the proper type and size to fit the child. Rear-facing for infants, forwardfacing for small children. 3. The child seat should fit the vehicle seating position (or positions) where it will be used. 36 Driver and Passenger Safety