Rear facing car seats are the safest option for your child, and they’re also the most comfortable. In this article, we’ll explore why they’re the best option for your family, and we’ll provide a few tips on how to choose the right one for your child.
Rear facing car seats are the safest seats for children
Rear facing car seats are the safest seats for children. They protect them from head and neck injuries, as well as blunt-force trauma to the body. Rear facing car seats provide a good level of protection even in a frontal collision. Children should always be placed in a rear facing car seat until they reach the maximum weight or height limit allowed by their manufacturer.
Children in rear facing car seats are less likely to be injured in a crash
Children in rear facing car seats are less likely to be injured in a crash. According to the NHTSA, children in rear facing car seats are 80% less likely to be killed or injured in a crash than those in front-facing car seats. Additionally, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that when comparing the rates of injuries for children between the ages of 1 and 4 who were seated in a forward-facing versus a rear-facing car seat, the rate of injuries for those seated in rear-facing car seats was almost half.
Rearfacing decreases the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths
Rearfacing decreases the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends rearfacing for infants until they reach at least 18 months old, and for toddlers until they reach the maximum weight and height for their age. Rearfacing decreases the risk of SIDS by 50%, according to a study from the University of Utah. Rearfacing also decreases the risk of being thrown from a car, which is one of the leading causes of death for children under age 5.
Rearfacing decreases the risk of concussion
A rear-facing car seat is the safest option for a child, and it decreases the risk of concussion by up to 85 percent.
Rearfacing also decreases the risk of serious neck injuries by up to 50 percent.
A car seat that’s forward-facing is not as safe as a rear-facing one, and it increases the risk of fatal head injuries by up to 200 percent.
While there are some benefits to forward-facing car seats (for example, they can provide more space in the car for groceries or other cargo), rear-facing seats are overwhelmingly the safest option for children. A rear-facing car seat reduces the risk of concussion by up to 85 percent, serious neck injuries by up to 50 percent, and fatal head injuries by up to 200 percent. Rearfacing also decreases the risk of serious spine injuries by up to 80 percent.
Rearfacing decreases the risk of injuries in the upper body and head
When you are rearfacing your child in a car seat, their head and upper body are positioned lower down in the car than if they were facing forward. This reduces the risk of injuries to these areas in a collision. Additionally, when the child is rearfacing, their weight is distributed more evenly across their whole body, which also reduces the risk of injury.