Avis Adopts 'Latch-Ready' Child Seats & Vehicles

Avis Cares(R) Program is First in Car Rental Industry To Promote Simplified System to Secure Children Easily and Safely PARSIPPANY, N.J., Nov. 13 -- According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the single greatest risk factor for death and injury among children who ride in motor vehicles is a failure to buckle-up the child. Making matters worse, safety seat inspections show that at least four out of five children are not buckled up correctly.

To help keep its car renters and their families safe this holiday season -- and to educate the public on the latest advances in child passenger safety -- Avis Rent A Car System, Inc. today announced that its Avis Cares® program has adopted the LATCH system as its standard for child safety seat installation. LATCH stands for the U.S. Government's new Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren, a new standard for child restraints. With LATCH system anchors installed in many 2002 vehicles, Avis will make LATCH adaptors available for all of its Evenflo® child safety seats and rent exclusively LATCH-ready vehicles to customers requesting installation assistance.

``At Avis, we have a long-standing focus on the safety and peace of mind of our customers,'' said David N. Siegel, chairman and CEO of Avis Rent A Car System, Inc. ``By promoting usage of the LATCH system, we are both expanding the broad Avis Cares commitment to safety, and also offering information to traveling parents and caregivers that they can apply back home.''

The Avis Cares Program, first introduced in 1989, offers safety messages, tips and other resources to Avis renters.

LATCH-equipped child safety passenger restraints have connectors that hook or clip onto permanent lower and upper tether anchorage points in the vehicle. Many 2002 model year vehicles already include those anchors and all vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2002 by law must be equipped with the new system. Avis' Evenflo child safety seats will now be provided with Evenflo LATCH adaptors that allow the seats to attach securely to vehicle anchors. The LATCH system is not required to secure booster seats.

As part of the enhanced Avis Cares child safety program, customers who request a child restraint will receive:

1. One of three Evenflo child safety or booster seats appropriate for the child's age, weight and height 2. An Evenflo LATCH adaptor for an infant or child safety seat 3. A 2002 model year vehicle equipped with LATCH anchors to accommodate infant or child safety seats utilizing a LATCH adaptor 4. Evenflo instructions on both the seat and the LATCH kit

Upon request, trained Avis personnel will assist customers with installing seats using the LATCH system. All Avis child restraints can also be installed using standard vehicle seat belt systems should customers not require installation assistance.

Training on the LATCH system begins this month for Avis personnel in all major airport locations. The program will go into effect by mid-December in time for the busy holiday travel season and will include child passenger safety information that parents can take home to learn more about using LATCH in their own new vehicles.

``The LATCH system makes it easier for parents, caregivers and rental car personnel to reduce the risk of injury by installing seats properly,'' said Diane Karl, Avis vice president of customer care and quality assurance. ``The advent of LATCH is also a great opportunity for Avis to offer the public a preview of a new safety standard that will become increasingly common over the coming months and years.''

NHTSA estimates that once all vehicles and child safety seats have the new system, about 50 children's lives will be saved and 3,000 injuries prevented each year.

For information on this new Federal standard for child safety systems, visit the National Highway Transportation Safety Association at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

Avis features Evenflo's First Choice infant seat, Secure Choice convertible seat for infants and toddlers and the new Evenflo SightSeer high back booster. For more information on Avis and its renter resources, visit http://www.avis.com, where users can also fill out an online safety survey, or for more information on child passenger restraints visit http://www.evenflo.com or Evenflo Parent Link at 1-800-233-5921.