For many people, the rear facing car seat is a symbol of safety. After all, it’s the one type of car seat that’s supposed to help protect your child in the event of an accident. But what are the real safety benefits of rear facing car seats? And just how safe are they really? In this blog post, we will explore these questions and more. We will also provide you with some tips on how to choose the best rear facing car seat for your family.
Rear facing car seats are safer than front facing car seats
Rear facing car seats are recommended for children who are less than 1 year old, because they provide more support for the child’s head and can reduce the risk of SIDS. Rear facing car seats also protect children from hitting their heads on the vehicle’s roof if there is an accident. A study by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that rear facing car seats reduce the risk of death in a crash by 50 percent compared to forward-facing car seats.
A recent study published in The American Journal of Public Health looked at how rear facing seat use changed over time and what factors influenced parents’ decision to switch their children to rear-facing seats. The study found that between 1999 and 2013, the percentage of children aged 1-4 years old riding in rear-facing infant carseat increased from 13 percent to 38 percent. Rear-facing infant carseat use was most common in families with lower incomes and those living in rural areas.
Factors associated with increased use of rear-facing infant carseats included parent education, having a household member who was injured in a motor vehicle crash, being African American or Hispanic, having insurance that covered using a child safety seat, and using a manual vs automatic transmission vehicle. Although more research needs to be done, these findings suggest that increasing adoption of rear-facing infant carseats may be an effective strategy for reducing deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes.
The basics of rear facing car seats
Rear facing car seats are typically considered to be safer for children because they are positioned behind the child, out of the path of oncoming traffic. This is especially true if the child is in a car that has a rear-facing seat approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
However, Rear Facing Car Seats Are Not Always Safe
There are some important things to keep in mind when using a rear facing car seat:
-A rear facing car seat should only be used until your child reaches age 2 or higher.
-The weight of the child and their clothing should never exceed 25% of their body weight.
-Rear facing car seats should never be used in cars with airbags.
-Never place a rear facing car seat in the front row of a vehicle.
Rear facing car seats for newborns
Rear facing car seats are a safer option for newborns and should be the first choice for infants less than 12 months old. The latest studies show that children who are rear facing in a car seat are less likely to die in a crash, even if they’re smaller or lighter weight than average. They’re also less likely to suffer serious injuries.
There are several types of rear-facing car seats available on the market, but all of them have one thing in common: they face the back of the vehicle. This is important because it puts the child’s head and shoulders close to the front of the vehicle in case of a crash.
When looking for a rear-facing car seat, it’s important to consider your child’s age and size. Newborns should be placed in a rear-facing car seat until they reach 25 pounds or 24 inches tall, whichever comes first. Larger babies may need an extra large car seat until they outgrow their rear-facing limit.
Some factors you may want to consider when choosing a rear-facing car seat include: whether or not your vehicle has third row seating, how many child safety restraints your vehicle has (usually there are two), and whether or not you have room in your garage or driveway for an additional piece of equipment. Rear facing is always safest for infants; don’t rely on age as the only determinant when making a safety decision for your baby!
Rear facing car seats for toddlers
According to the latest studies, rear facing car seats are actually safer for toddlers than forward facing car seats. Children who are rear-facing in a car seat are more likely to survive crashes and be less injured. That’s because when a crash occurs, the force is transferred from the child’s body directly onto the vehicle’s occupant compartment protection system. Forward-facing car seats put children in direct contact with the vehicle’s interior and can cause injury in a crash.
There are several types of rear-facing car seats on the market that meet different needs and ages of children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) specifically recommends using a rear-facing car seat until your child reaches 2 years old or until they reach his or her maximum height, weight, and width percentile. After your child reaches 2 years old, you can continue using a rear-facing car seat until he or she outgrows it by 5th grade growth percentile. Rear facing is also recommended for infants younger than 1 year old if there is an active front passenger in the carseat.
When choosing a rear-facing car seat, be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Be sure the belt fits snugly around your child’s waist and chest; adjust it as needed. Also make sure your child’s headrest is inserted properly so their ears don’t touch either side of the chair back and their head doesn’t
Rearfacing for older children
There are many benefits to rearfacing your child in a car seat, but one of the most important is that rearfacing reduces the risk of fatal injury from being struck by a car. Older children are more likely to be rearfaced in their car seats for several reasons: they’re heavier and broader across the chest than infants, their bones have developed more fully, and they’re taller.
Even though rearfacing your child in a car seat may seem like a no-brainer, there are some things you should keep in mind before making this decision. One of these concerns is whether or not your vehicle has an infant-style or convertible seat. In most cases, an infant-style seat will not accommodate a larger child properly, while a convertible seat can convert between an infant-style and regular seating position. It’s important to note that not all convertible seats can be converted into an adult-style seat; make sure to check the specifications before purchase.
If you choose to rearface your child, it’s important to use a certified burial typecar seat. These seats use standard US Federal safety standards and meet or exceed all Australian safety requirements for frontal impacts*. For older children who can no longer ride in an infant-style car seat due to their weight or size, using a certified burial typecar seat gives them the greatest level of protection* when travelling in a car.
The risks of not using a rear-facing car seat
Rear facing car seats are safer for infants and children than forward facing car seats. Rear facing car seats use the child’s weight to distribute the force of a crash, which reduces the risk of serious injury. Forward facing car seats can cause neck and spinal cord injuries in a crash.
To ensure that your child is safest in a car crash, always use a rear-facing car seat. Acar seat expert recommends that children remain rear-facing until they reach age 2 or until their height reaches 44 inches, whichever comes first. If you don’t have a rear-facing car seat available, use a harness restraint system (HRS) with your forward-facing car seat.
Conclusion
Rear-facing car seats are typically considered to be safer than forward-facing car seats. This is because the weight of a baby placed in a rear-facing car seat forces the chest and abdomen against the spine, which helps protect them from spinal cord injuries. However, there are some caveats to this theory. The first is that not all rear-facing car seats are created equal; make sure you get one that has been safety tested and certified by the government. Secondly, even if your car seat meets safety standards, it doesn’t guarantee that your child will be safe in it; always use proper restraint when transporting your child in a vehicle.