Some anchorage locations in vehicles can be so obscure it can be confusing whether the item you are looking at is in fact the correct upper anchorage location – and unfortunately it is relatively common for vehicle manufacturers to not label some of their anchorage locations.

Anchorage locations are ACRI’s most common enquiry – with member’s trying their best to analyse whether a certain point looks capable of being an achorage location. To be clear, your responsibility is to comply with the manufacturers instructions, not with the ADR (Australian Design Rules) – that’s the manufacturers responsibility. As always, the manufacturer must identify the anchorage location before you complete the installation. This can be attained by:
1. Identifying the child seat anchorage location logo
2. Reviewing the owners manual
3. Contacting the manufacturer or a dealership
4. Contacting ACRI

The responsibility to identify an anchorage location falls to the driver of the vehicle. It is their responsibility to identify the correct anchorage location – the same as knowing where the seat belt is for children. If an anchorage cannot be found, then another avenue you can recommend is for the parent/carer to confirm the location with their vehicle’s mechanic.

Extenuating Circumstances:

In some unusual circumstances where a technician may not be able to identify an anchorage, the technician may need to rely on the parent providing the information regarding the location – such as the example above. In this circumstance it is good practice to ensure you place something to the equivalent of the following statement on your standard disclaimer forms you are filing with your customer signed logs.

“To the best of my ability this complies with the instructions outlined by the manufacturer of the vehicle and the child safety seat but it is the parents responsibility to communicate with the dealership or manufacturer directly to ensure the correct anchorage has been utilised.”

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