5 Reasons to Keep Your Child Rear-Facing for as Long as Possible (2024)

FAQs

5 Reasons to Keep Your Child Rear-Facing for as Long as Possible? ›

A rear-facing car seat will absorb most of the crash forces and supports the head, neck and spine. When children ride forward-facing, their heads - which for toddlers are disproportionately large and heavy - are thrown forward, possibly resulting in spine and head injuries.

Rear-facing is the safer option. During the most severe types of collisions — frontal and side impacts — a rear-facing child is cradled by the shell of their car seat, keeping their head, neck, and spine in alignment.

The benefits of extended rear facing really come down to safety. If you were in a collision your child will be safer in a rear facing position. This is because of the way the car seat cushions the body in a rear facing versus forward facing position.

Use a rear-facing car seat from birth until ages 2–4. Infants and toddlers should be buckled in a rear-facing car seat with a harness, in the back seat, until they reach the maximum weight or height limit of their car seat. This offers the best possible protection.

Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that the vast majority of children stay rear-facing as long as possible, even after turning 2, and parents shouldn't make the switch based on age. The biggest reason? Rear-facing car seats are better at protecting the head, neck and spine in the event of a crash.

Test dummy's today act much like humans, but packed with advanced electronics inside to teach us more about safety. These dummy's have helped to save countless lives over the years. How much safer is rear facing? Research has shown rear facing to be 500% safer up to two years of age.

Children secured in a rear-facing car seat (RFCS) are half as likely to sustain severe injury and have a 5.6% lower mortality rate in motor vehicle crashes than children secured in a front-facing car seat (SOR: B, systematic review of two cohort studies).

Most experts agree that a parent-facing pushchair or a carrycot, which allows direct eye-contact, is best for your new-born baby's development and wellbeing. However, unlike with a car seat, there's no law saying which direction your baby must face in a pushchair and at what age.

While 1 year and 20 pounds used to be the standard for when to flip car seats around, most experts now recommend using rear-facing child seats until children outgrow the top weight and height recommendations of the car seat manufacturer. This means your child may be rear-facing until well beyond their second birthday.

Children must use a rear-facing car seat if they are under 2 years or until they outgrow the manufacturer's height and weight recommendations. Children younger than 4 must use a car seat. Children 4 through 7 years and less than 57 inches tall should use a booster seat.

Can my 3 year old stay rear facing? ›

Dangers of Forward-Facing Too Early

Most convertible car seats have rear-facing weight limits of 35 to 50 pounds, so most kids can ride rear-facing until age three to five.

Ride rear-facing until your child is 2 or more years and has outgrown the harness by height or weight. As your child grows you might have to switch from using a smaller rear-facing-only car seat to using a bigger rear-facing convertible car seat that can hold a larger child.

Ever wonder why children should be placed with their car seat rear facing versus forward facing? Simply said, it's because it's the safest way for them to ride in a car. If your child is placed in a forward facing position too early, they are at risk for head, neck and spine injuries in a crash.

Replace their infant car seat with a convertible car seat or all-in-one car seat and keep them rear-facing until they reach the rear-facing limit for your specific seat (usually between 40 and 50 lb. or 43"-49"). Only then should you finally face your child's car seat forward.

While 1 year and 20 pounds used to be the standard for when to flip car seats around, most experts now recommend using rear-facing child seats until children outgrow the top weight and height recommendations of the car seat manufacturer. This means your child may be rear-facing until well beyond their second birthday.

You should want to keep them rear facing as long as possible (until they hit the maximum heights/weight) it is the absolute safest way to ride in a car. Many car seats have a maximum of 40-50 pounds for rear facing these days as well. There's no such thing as running out of leg room at that age.