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

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[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.

[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.....

[FinalFantasyAerith]

They deactivated it.

[FinalFantasyAerith]

*Sigh* No it's not actually. There was a crash where a woman was hit by a truck at 50 miles and hour from behind. The paramedics couldn't believe that the children were still alive and the worst injury sustained was a cut to one of the boys heads. 3 Children were rear facing in that car and all 3 survived.

[crewsk]

They're always using front crashes in their tests. What about the kids that get in rear ended crashes. It's a fifty fifty chance of your child getting injured.

[Shaina Day]

i am all for rear facing but those "kids" are strapped in differently..

[protorion]

Never crashed with my kids so I can't say about the injuries but having a four year old rear facing has never been a problem for me. Kids complain just as much which ever direction they face. :)

[zoomo67]

@boneheaders put her in a 5 point harness. Isabelle Broadhead was killed when she was in a booster not a harness. Belle was about 30 lbs too.

[acdc11209]

Better a cast than a casket

[boneheaders]

I have a question. What if a 5 year old child outgrew their rear facing car seat by height, yet they are only 30 lbs? (i know of a child; she is perfectly healthy- her doctor said so) It is safe to put her in a high back booster- Wouldn't a 5 point harness be a better choice because she is so petite?

[boneheaders]

Which car seats are you using? I am assuming that you are using a Britax Multi Tech II with the 55 lb (25 kg) weight limit. Are backless boosters sold in your country or do you just personally use high back boosters? I am curious :)

[boneheaders]

I know you commented on this 2 years ago, but I still like to reply! Swedish car seats are installed differently than our american car seats. some car seats you can even place the car seat at a distance from the vehicle seat back, giving the child more comfort. Also, they allow their car seats much more upright for additional comfort and have much higher height and weight limits than our car seats do.