Crash Test - Forward vs. Rear Facing

Don't turn your baby around at 12 months. Watch this short video and you'll realize why you should keep your child rear facing for as long as possible. Facing the rear is 5 times safer than facing front! Instead of turning your baby around at 12 months, get a rear facing or convertible car seat and keep your toddler safe. Many convertible car seats permit children to ride rear facing until 35 lbs. which is a tremendous difference in safety. Questions? Email ad@adventuredad.com

Category:

Education

Tags:

• car
• seat
• rear
• facing
• forward
• safety
• crash
• test
• child

[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

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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?

[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.

[Valigon]

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

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.