Crash Test - Forward vs. Rear Facing

[1Adventuredad]

281jwhite: Most crashes are frontal collisions. Rear facing seats have a huge safety advantage in side impact collisions as well. This is due to forward momentum and pre-impact breaking in almost all collisions.

All forward facing seats have very poor side impact protection. Forward momentum/pre-impact breaking throws child forward just before impact often leaving head/neck unprotected.

Collisions from rear are not in focus since they rarely cause injuries/death and also are less common

[281jwhite]

This only shows safety for if your in a frontal crash... What if someone hits you from behind or the side. The only videos i see on here all the crashes are frontal crashes

[boneheaders]

I'm from the USA and some parents out there are just DUMB and IGNORANT. They want convenience to be the main center of their lives- after all, it is EASIER to fasten in a child forward facing, than a child rear facing and is much easier to have the child themselves strap them in. Many parents use booster seats too soon or do not use them at all. I cannot believe some people will say $300 to be expensive for a carseat, when you have internet, latest cell phone and flat screen TV with cable.

[1Adventuredad]

Fieryxxx: Description of the video mention that airbag is deactivated. This can be done on most cars in Europe. A rear facing child is as safe or safer in the front seat compared to the back seat as long as airbag is deactivated

If airbag is active a child should never sit in the front seat. Children in the front seat is a very common sight in Sweden, which lead the world in car seat safety. Again, airbag must always be deactivated with key/switch/service location.

[fieryxxx]

I would like to mention something that i didn't see in this video...and it's quite serious...the passenger seat airbag didn't deploy..which if it had, it would have sent the rear facing child seat flying into the passenger seat which would have resulted in more serious damage to the child in the rear facing seat.

[lenats31]

@fieryxxx That´s a very very good thing it didn´t. Most EU cars like this one have swicthes for the ront passenger airbag. No rearfacing seat is allowed in the front if the airbag cannot be deactivated. this is how it works here in Europe

[1Adventuredad]

Rear facing as safe or safer compared to forward facing even in crashes from the rear. These crashes account for only about 5% of total accidents and are often minor since both vehicles are moving in the same direction and speeds are usually low

[EmbroideredFlower]

grrr!!!! they are only testing FRONT impact (a head on collision) What about if you are rear ended?? Would the result be the same??

[0darksome0]

@EmbroideredFlower

in those accidents both cars are either moving in the same direction, or one is moving, and the other is standing still, so rear end accidents are never as violent and potentially deadly as head on collisions.

[gcon92]

What if your car got rear ended, like Vanessa Fulladosa who went to my school.

Look her up on Google.

[savvygater]

@lenats31 My point wasn't to suggest rear-facing isn't better. A lot of people were saying that the video would have been more effective if the two had been buckled the same way, which they are not - though it looked to be at the time as though the were, which is what my comment was about. I am a big proponent of keeping children rear-facing as long as possible, even if it means shelling out big bucks for better carseats. Lives are much too important to go cheap in that area. :)

[tntreed8183]

I hope everyone just realizes its the proper fitting carseat that is safest my two year old is only 21lbs so he is rear facing and will be as long as it need be however his school was putting him in an infant seat because he doesnt weigh the 25 lbs there forward seats require on the bus which is more unsafe well it depends the infant seat is clearly to small he is three inches to tall for it so he doesnt have the protection needed and yes kids get broken legs

[rejaak]

Must be better to have broken legs than a broken neck in an accident

[wingsafire]

This is how I look at it, would you rather have your child's legs break, or their spine? It is very rare that their legs would even break, in fact no cases have been reported that because of rear-facing their legs broke. But again, I'd rather have my babies use crutches for 6-8 weeks than to be in a wheelchair the rest of their lives.

[writergirl182003]

OH yeah... the front facing kid looks really strapped in there.... a kid that's strapped in properly would NOT be flung forward like that.

and you gotta love how the rear facing kid is the one that's all strapped in tightly.

w/e I'll be turning my kids around when they're a year old. when their feet are propped up on the back seat.

[1Adventuredad]

If you want to rear face your child at age 12 months that's your choice. The earth is still flat for many parents who refuse to accept the huge safety benefits.

Both children in this test are strapped in PROPERLY. A great benefit with rear facing is the low forces on the harness. Most of impact forces are absorbed by the seat shell. This is why rear facing is 500% safer than forward facing.

Best of luck with your forward facing 12 month old, hope you're never in an accident.....

[riv0rz]

No matter how well strapped your child is in the seat, it's still your child's neck that's gonna get the worst impact, which may result in a broken neck. The child's head is still gonna get flung forward like that no matter what. It's just logical as the head is not strapped.

Our 2 year old is rear faced without any problems, and we intend to keep him this way at least until he's 4 years old. Don't want a kid with a broken neck if we were to

[mygirlkat1974]

@writergirl182003

Yes it will happen. Because of the force. RFing they are more snug in the seat and the force is coming at them from the front, forward facing its coming from their back and it will propell them forward a lot.

[AEF126]

That's so ignorant.

Why on earth would you do that?

There is NO reason to.

When science, medicine, the CSPS and car seat manufacturers are all URGING parents to not turn their child around, why would you?

Pure ignorance is the only reason.

[77MommaBear96]

@writergirl182003 WRONG. the forward facing is in a typical and legal booster seat w/should/lap belt. the rear facing uses a 5 point harness. and even w/a forward facing harness the head, neck and shoulders are flung forward in a crash. view the story of Joel to see what happens..he was in a 5 point harness and his neck was broken.

i cannot believe how clueless some people are.

[lenats31]

@writergirl182003

The laws of physics do not work in favor of a forward facing restraint of any type and regardles of where in the car you put it. Also, airbags in Europe can be deactivated and the front seats have been optimized for safety for many years and the rearseat safety has been negelected over the same amount of years. Extended harnessing has no benefit over a booster seat. You can teach a child to sit properly all the time if you want to unless there is a dissability

[1Adventuredad]

Rear facing in the front seat, with airbag deactivated, is as safe as the rear seat. This has been proven by research and real life experiences long time ago.

In Sweden, which is 30 years or more ahead or all other countries in car seat safety, a large percentage of children sit rear facing in the front seat (airbag deactivated with key/switch).

Sweden has been leading the world in car seat safety for the past 40 years. Rear facing in front seat being dangerous is a common myth.

[maegin]

This is a piece of shit video... For one why the hell is the rear facing seat in the front? This would never happen.

[riv0rz]

With airbag off that is totally legal. And this is not a piece of shit video.

[djnormal]

OK so what about where you get rear-ended? I'm sure that happens just as much as head-ons.

[AMBERANDTY]

The MAJORITY of crashes are frontal or side. (which also throw you forward)

[pnkldybg356]

no, 96% of crashes are frontal and side. also rear-endings happen at lower speeds and the vehicles are positioned in the same direction.

rear-facing is statistically safest, period.

[lenats31]

@djnormal

A Swedish RF seat was rearended on the expressway in the USA recently. The seat got few marks on it. The child - a 3 year-old - walked away without a scratch. Cars are travelling in the same direction. So they don´t stop like they do in head-ons. they continue forward.

[solixo2007]

If two cars colide head on both velocitys add up, so two cars at 50Kmph means that it's the same that a car colides with a concrete wall at 100Kmph!

Rear ending accidents are 5% of the total crashes and velocitys subtract so a rear ended accident of a car going at 40 into a car going at 20 is the same as an accident as going into a concrete wall at 20.

Anyway, Rear facing seats are much, much safer than rear ones.

[Valigon]

why don't they just make cars where the passenger seats face backwards.....

[SimsFreak111]

because its a stupid ass idea.

[tjensen19]

@Valigon Beacuse carseats can't be installed in rearfacind vehicle seats.

[RoyAndrew911]

@Valigon because not everyone are a baby...

[Xakana]

@Valigon They do, but it's not recommended to put car seats in them, because tests have not been done regarding the safety. That said, they are a great idea, I've ridden backwards like that and it's more comfortable during sudden stops.

[hayleyscool2]

Actually, there is now a car seat in the US that RF 45 lbs. It's the Radian SLXT

super nice and I have one!

[rizzo0904]

In the US, there are no seats that RF over 40 pounds right now. I have the Britax Blvd and love it. Hope to get to 2 before my son hits it's 35lb limit. If you want one that can be RF'd for longer, you need to import it. Sweden has seats that RF up to 55 lbs. Why the US is so behind on carseat safety is beyond me.

[tjensen19]

@rizzo0904 Not true....Sunshine Kids has @ seats the RF to 45 lbs, the Radian 80sl and the Radian XTSL

[tjensen19]

@rizzo0904 Radian 80sl and xtsl RF to 45 lbs and the 65sl RF to 40 lbs. The US is so far behind because not enough people care enough to create the demand, hopefully that is changing!

[rudafus]

My 14 month girl will stay rear facing till 4 or 5. I would like to know if there are carseats out there that are more comfortable for a child rear facing over 2. Anyone know about this and where to find one?

[swtgi1982]

the true fit by the first years and the new safety first complete air will be good for older kids rear facing.

[anjomi1986]

In my experience the Radians give more leg room then the Britax seats. And it also RFs to 45lbs and has a very tall shell. My 4yo will be RFing in a Radian XT SL as soon as I buy one. She hit the 35lb limit on my older Radian.

[1Adventuredad]

A common complain from parents regarding Radian is problems getting a tight installation and also the enormous amount of space needed.

[33GeoStef33]

there is a quiet killer mentioned on any collision named force. Tremendous forces applied when two bodies collied each other.Don't ever play with laws of physics and always act with respect to them, because they can.........KILL you!!!!

[EmilyProcter0891]

Isn't the child in the rear viewed car seat sitting in a harness? The other child is however sitting in a booster seat. I've heard there is a big difference between those two. So this test had been more fair if we had seen two harness seats, for example.

I still think children front facing is at more risk though. I mean, I'm not sure their neck's can handle the crash.

Sorry for my bad English.

[savvygater]

I looks to mean like both the rear and front facing dummies are buckled the same way.

[lenats31]

@savvygater

Harnessing the forward facing child would not make any bit of a difference

[1Adventuredad]

Harnessing children age 4 and up doesn't offer any safety advantage. This is a common belief among parents. In Sweden, which is 30 years ahead in car seat safety, the recommendation is to never harness a child forward facing. it's straight to high back boosters after rear facing period is over around 4 years of age.

[wifemomx2]

@1Adventuredad

But if a child isnt mature enough @ 4yo to sit properly and safely in their HBB for the entire trip, every trip, then they are safer in a harness still. And I have not met any 4yo yet who can sit still and proper every time, never leaning out of place or dozing off, etc. The safest seat is the one that is age/size appropriate, and used correctly everytime. That is a harnessed seat over jsut a booster for most 4yo's, and even some 5yo's.

[323REYNA]

@1Adventuredad Really? I need to look into that...

[Xakana]

@1Adventuredad Except that harnesses are best for everyone, at any age. It does not stop being safest at any time. A pregnant woman shouldn't ride in a 5 point, but a 4 point is preferable then.

[Gr8CFce]

Just curious....

How do you keep a 4 yr. old rear facing?

I mean, they're not little babies obviously, they've got long legs and such. So, if you get hit head on or rear ended, wouldn't their legs be broken or something?

[EmilyProcter0891]

I don't have children of my own and I'm still a teenager so...yeah.

Anyway, I've heard that 5 point harness seats are really good. I don't know where you live but here in scandinavia we have harness car seats that fits a child up to the age of 6. They are however front facing, but harness and not boosters. :)

[EmilyProcter0891]

Sorry that I comment again. I just wanted to say. Try to keep your child rear-faced as long as possible though.... :S

[meganbattersby]

i would much prefer my child to break 2 legs, than to break her neck. there are carseats (in europe) that allow children up to 4 to be rearfacing.

[granstaff]

My son stayd rear facing to the limits of his seat which he grew out of by height and weight just before 3. I am glad he did and I never worried about broken legs, I would rather have a child who was still alive but with broken legs then the latter.

[imperfecta89]

Some kids sit with their legs crossed indian style.

[Booperelli]

there have actually been zero reported cases of broken legs in rear facing children.

[amatasarto]

Their legs have knees. :) The bend pretty easily. 96% of crashes are frontal or side crashes, in which rear facing seats provide much more protection. In the 4% of crashes from the rear, the protection is about the same. In any case, a broken leg can be set but a broken neck cannot. Remember that children's heads are very large compared to their bodies and their necks are much more flexible than those of adults. Rear facing is safest for ANYONE. :)

[1Adventuredad]

Children like sitting with bent legs. It's comfortable for them but not for us adults. There is no negative impact on safety in collisions from behind contrary to popular belief. A common injury among forward facing children is broken legs etc. This is not the case with rear facing children.

[0darksome0]

@Gr8CFce

my boy is now 3 years and 4 months, still rearfacing and not complaining :)

[aihley]

@Gr8CFce Besides, I'd much rather my son's legs be broken than have his skull ripped from his spine. One of those you can recover from.

[tjensen19]

@Gr8CFce My 5.5 year old is rearfacing, he loves it and doesnt want to turn around. He usually rides criss cross. My toddler's legs still have plenty of room RFing. Even on the off chance a child were to break a leg in a crash it's a whole lot easier to fix a leg bone then a spinal cord. ;)

[bekanne]

Well, you're the parent. You put the seat rear facing and tell them that's their seat! Broken legs can be cast and fixed. Broken necks can't.

[dawngalloper12]

@Gr8CFce even if it did break their legs, i think id prefer broken legs to a broken neck anyday!

[phoeebee]

Thank you for posting this. I have my 11 month old son rearfacing, and intend to keep him that way as long as possible.

[joolstag]

Wow, what a great comparison. It's nice to see that Graco Turbo perform relatively well, too (for a FF booster, that is...obviously the harnessed RF kid is going to fare better in more types of crashes).

[1Adventuredad]

Papooses, you're everywhere:-)) Rear facing in front is a great place for a child (airbag disabled of course). Crash tesing solely is better in rear but when considering all actors the front is as safe which even ultra safety conscious Volvo says

Keeping children of other ages , except rear facing, is less safe and not recommended.

[PapoosesCPST]

This video is obviously not from the U.S.

Swedish children are often placed rear-facing in the front seat (with disabled airbag) because forward-facing children in the front is even more more dangerous . . . it's about equalizing the risk for ALL passengers.

It is never recommended to put a rear-facing child in the front with an active airbag: the airbag must be deactivated & back is still the safest place for all passengers of any age....

[1Adventuredad]

Keeping a child REAR FACING in front seat is just as safe as the rear (airbag disabled). Rear is slightly better from a pur crash test view. But other factors, such as better communication with child, sturdy dashboard, and rear facing for longer time make the front seat as safe.

The Swedes, best car seat safety record in world, keeps a large percentage of kids in front seat. From birth to 4-5 years (Swedish kids rear face until 4-5 years here due to seats which handle rear facing until 55 lbs)

[kewpie0]

Obviously, you would NOT put the child seat in the front seat of the car. I am guessing they just put it there for the sake of comparing rear facing to forward facing and being able to see the drastic difference between the two.

[Wiishit23456withvids]

And i´m saying that front facing is better than rear facing

[amatasarto]

and you're insane.

[Wiishit23456withvids]

No offense dude, but this video is wrong, rear facing is a wrong position in the front because of the air-bags the rear seat IS THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE

[Imsemor]

This is safe, the airbag in the front should be removed, in Norway and Sweden it is not legal to rearface infront of active airbag, but it is legal and RECOMENDED to have the child in the front seat if the airbag is not active and the space in the rear seat is too smal. Rearfacing is in front seat is much safer than foreward facing in rear seat!

This is a swedish video.

[kbawden21]

very good video, we need more like this!