Rear Facing Car Seats For Upto 4 Years Of Age

Good 2 B A Gooner

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After looking for a new seat for the little man, we'd looked a various seats and due to having Isofix, had decided on getting the MaxiCosi Priofix.... That was until heard about the dangers involved in front facing car seats for children under 4!

Here is a link to a website for more info - http://www.rearfacing.co.uk/

You can also see a news report from the BBC on Youtube.


If you’re looking at getting a new seat this would seem a must!
 
All my kids have had is forward facing seats but it is no surprise that this goverment have got it wrong
 
try getting a 3 year old to face the rear and try getting them to fit in a average size car in a rear faceing seat. We struggle getting our daughter to sit in the back she just wants mummys seat all the time.

agreed it may be safer
 
Yeah i know mate - We've got one in our A4 and it's massive! But once you find this out when your buying one... then thats it; you have to get it then!

If it hadn't fitted into our A4 then we would've had to get an A6!
 
Are the chances of being involved in a frontal impact higher than being involved in a rear impact? What happens to kids in rear facing seats when some dozy git in a lorry rear ends you? It's swings and roundabouts mate. I recon I've got more chance of avoiding a frontal impact cos I can see what's happening in front of me and can at least try take evasive action. A rear impact is very rarely avoidable and there's less chance of me being able to evade it - especially if I've emergency stopped behind a queue of stationary traffic on the motorway in the middle lane. All we can do is make sure we're all as safe as practicably possible. The best bet is to drive a massive SUV like the Q7 so we stand a higher chance of comming off best in a collision, but it's not practical in reality. We're already doing as much as we can by buying the best car seat we can afford and fit in our cars, and we drive one of the safest cars on the road. Just be extra vigilant and drive a safely as you can, the rest is out of our hands I'm afraid. Where do you draw the line? Is the safest place for them tucked up in bed 24/7?
 
The best bet is to drive a massive SUV like the Q7 so we stand a higher chance of comming off best in a collision

Erm no. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbEa3C2vL7U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_86RuYXoJA&NR=1

Added to that the ludicrous centre of gravity and the increased risk to pedestrians in an accident, IMO 4x4's should be confined to green-laneing and specialist jobs like farming. If you want comfort go buy an A8/Phaeton. Need to tow? I'm sure an A6 3.0 TDi can manage your caravan? Loadspace you say - measured up an estate car lately? Extra seats for the kids friends etc - MPV baby!
 
Are the chances of being involved in a frontal impact higher than being involved in a rear impact? What happens to kids in rear facing seats when some dozy git in a lorry rear ends you? It's swings and roundabouts mate. I recon I've got more chance of avoiding a frontal impact cos I can see what's happening in front of me and can at least try take evasive action. A rear impact is very rarely avoidable and there's less chance of me being able to evade it - especially if I've emergency stopped behind a queue of stationary traffic on the motorway in the middle lane. All we can do is make sure we're all as safe as practicably possible. The best bet is to drive a massive SUV like the Q7 so we stand a higher chance of comming off best in a collision, but it's not practical in reality. We're already doing as much as we can by buying the best car seat we can afford and fit in our cars, and we drive one of the safest cars on the road. Just be extra vigilant and drive a safely as you can, the rest is out of our hands I'm afraid. Where do you draw the line? Is the safest place for them tucked up in bed 24/7?

You need to see and read about this before commenting on it mate - A rear impact will still make you child jolt forward, not backwards - This is advice for those looking at seats, and for those whose child’s safety is a priority (Which i'm sure is all of us).

Granted some people can't afford to change/buy bigger cars to fit these seats in - But as i said you need to read-up mate.

Doctors in this country have been campaigning for some time now to make these seats more available, and give better knowledge to parents regarding these seats. There free are courses/road shows run by Essex and other councils along with police forces, promoting the safety of this way of sitting.


To give you some stats – A child is 45% safer sitting in a front facing car seat in an accident –A child in a rear facing seat is 95% safer – That’s a massive difference.
God willing now of us or any parent will ever need to call on their seat, but it’s about maximizing your safety.

As I said on the previous post – We have an A4, with a Britax one fitted – I’m 6ft and can still fit in ok in the passenger seat. We have Isofix and tried the Isofix version but it made the passenger seat almost redundant…!

I’ve had an A3 Sportback as a courtesy car and they seem as big in the passenger cabin as my A4.

The Swede’s are renown for their safety and they’ve made these law for some time now!



 
Bear in mind how old that disco is, it doesn't even have airbags it's that old! I specifically mentioned a Q7 rather than an old disco. I'd love to see a video like like where they replace the disco with a new Q7/Range Rover/X5, I know which car I'd rather my child was in. And as for pedestrians, if they want to wonder aimlessly into my road, my family's safety is my priority, not their safety. A Q7 just isn't practical for me, I don't have any use for it's intended design, ie off-road driving.

Relative to the car, your body travells backwards in a rear end collision, that's why airbags don't go off in a rear end collision. It's also why they made headrests. Inertia makes the body attempt to stay in place, while the impact is shoving the car forwards which is in effect the same as jolting the body backwards. As an experiment, stand on a skateboard facing forward and have a mate give the board a good shove from behind - you'll end up on your back. Your body travells BACKWARDS in relation to the board.

Your child will be under the same forces if they are facing backwards in a rear impact as what they are facing forwards in a frontal impact.
I'll never do anything to increase my family's chances of harm, but I can't lock them away or wrap them in cotton-wool all the time. I never skimp on safety, that's why I drive the safe(imo)car I do, and my wife drives the safe(imo) car she does. It's why we bought (imo) the best child seat(2 of them in-fact) for our daughter - irrespective of cost.
 
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Also, statistics can be very miss-leading.
"Between July 2006 and November 2007 not a single child under the age of 6 years old was killed in a car crash in Sweden (Source: VTI Sweden)."

It doesn't mention how many children under 6 were involved in accidents in Sweden in that time-period. The statistic is meaningless, especially if there were no children under 6 involved in an accident in that time-period.

Take a look at the videos on this page: http://www.rearfacing.co.uk/facts.php

Notice how the rear-facing seats have got legs that stand on the floor of the vehicle? They don't have legs on the forward facing seats because that would invalidate the website author's point. I'd like to see the video where the forward facing seat has got isofix and either top-tether or the stabilising foot which stops the child-seat from tipping forwards.

Also, notice how little effect the seat-belt has on the forward facing car seat - that's why I chose isofix with the footing pole instead. I really hope I never get to prove that my child is extremely safe in her seat, but I know that I've done my very best to protect her.
 
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My 10 month old son is now using the rear facing seat at the moment (which goes up to 4 years old), but my 4 year old son is in a forward facing booster (with back - Isofix) style seat. If he sat in a rear facing seat, his legs would be wrapped around the headrest!
 
Also, statistics can be very miss-leading.
"Between July 2006 and November 2007 not a single child under the age of 6 years old was killed in a car crash in Sweden (Source: VTI Sweden)."

It doesn't mention how many children under 6 were involved in accidents in Sweden in that time-period. The statistic is meaningless, especially if there were no children under 6 involved in an accident in that time-period.



Take a look at the videos on this page: http://www.rearfacing.co.uk/facts.php

Notice how the rear-facing seats have got legs that stand on the floor of the vehicle? They don't have legs on the forward facing seats because that would invalidate the website author's point. I'd like to see the video where the forward facing seat has got isofix and either top-tether or the stabilising foot which stops the child-seat from tipping forwards.

Also, notice how little effect the seat-belt has on the forward facing car seat - that's why I chose isofix with the footing pole instead. I really hope I never get to prove that my child is extremely safe in her seat, but I know that I've done my very best to protect her.

You have to look at the evidence - People are making us aware for a reason - Because it's fact mate.
Without wanting to sound disrespectful – yours is an opinion; the evidence is there from Doctors to back up their facts.

Why would the Police, Councils, Road Safety Organizations and Doctors, be trying to make these compulsory?!

I'm not suggesting in any way that you don't care for your child’s safety, that's what we do as parents - But facts are facts.


This thread is here to highlight the option to those that weren't aware such as myself 4 months ago.:icon_thumright:
 
My 10 month old son is now using the rear facing seat at the moment (which goes up to 4 years old), but my 4 year old son is in a forward facing booster (with back - Isofix) style seat. If he sat in a rear facing seat, his legs would be wrapped around the headrest!

The Doctors say that children are ok from 4 years onwards - The Britax one we bought is good as it can be turned for front facing also, and then used for 4 years + including becoming a booster seat etc.

I should think so, it cost enough - I only went into the shop to look at it.... :keule:


P.S. how does it fit in a B8 for space?
 
You need to see and read about this before commenting on it mate - A rear impact will still make you child jolt forward, not backwards


In rear impact, like arthufuxak said, you are jolted backwards. And move forward in front impact restrained by seat belts. Unless you mean the "secondary" reaction is that once you've intially shunted backwards you naturally come forward a bit again?
 
In rear impact, like arthufuxak said, you are jolted backwards. And move forward in front impact restrained by seat belts. Unless you mean the "secondary" reaction is that once you've intially shunted backwards you naturally come forward a bit again?

And it's the secondary reaction that causes whiplash, when the weight and momentum of the head strains the connective tissue in the neck. Therefore a seat that prevents the second movement is a good idea...
 
And it's the secondary reaction that causes whiplash, when the weight and momentum of the head strains the connective tissue in the neck. Therefore a seat that prevents the second movement is a good idea...

Yea the recoil after the inital hit will cause problem, but I suppose it's which is worse, I'm sure the intial backwards movement in a rear end shunt is worse, hence headrestraints being the norm for past few decades, they're there for rear ends not to catch the recoil of a front impact.

I think whichever way they face it's a compromise for front or rear impact.
 
Yea the recoil after the inital hit will cause problem, but I suppose it's which is worse, I'm sure the intial backwards movement in a rear end shunt is worse, hence headrestraints being the norm for past few decades, they're there for rear ends not to catch the recoil of a front impact.

I think whichever way they face it's a compromise for front or rear impact.

Guy's neither of us are doctors or experts in crash protection - The fact that it's illegal to put a child under 4 in a front facing seat in Sweden (A country known for safety) says it all.
Why is it a legal requirement for children under 20lbs/12 months in a rear facing seat? Because as the study has proved - Children under 4 are unable to take the impact from a front collision in a front facing seat.

Why would these experts, Doctors and Police forces be pushing the government to raise awareness?!

This thread was posted to highlight for those buying a car seat for their child the dangers involved - No child can be 100% safe, but it's all about reducing the risks isn't it....:think:


I understand some people can't fit these seats in the cars they have, but for me i'd sell my car and have a Vauxall Zafira if it meant my Son was safer!:icon_thumright:
 

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