GM Offering New Type of Child-Seat Anchors

General Motors Corp., the world’s largest auto maker, is offering new child-safety-seat anchors in some 2001 cars and trucks to help reduce injuries and deaths from installation errors. The system, called the “Latch,” uses a top tether and anchors between the seat back and bottom cushion to secure the safety seat without seat belts. The system is available on the 2001 Pontiac Aztek sport-utility vehicle, Grand Am sedan, Montana minivan, Oldsmobile Alero sedan, Silhouette minivan, Chevrolet Venture minivan, Silverado pickup truck and GMC Sierra pickup. Auto makers must include tether and anchor systems in vehicles in the next three years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration seeks tighter safety standards to reduce accidents, which killed 1,135 children age 10 and younger and injured more than 182,000 others last year. More than half those deaths involved children improperly secured in seats, NHTSA said. GM shares rose 81 cents to close at $50.88 on the New York Stock Exchange.