Rearfacing Car Seats Until 4 years old

[Carseatcrazy]

Hi
I think there is an urgent need for our government to be open with parents about the propper facts about rear facing car seats. The British Medical Jornal published an article from specialist doctors 2 years ago calling for all health professionals to spread the word to parents about Rear facing seats being 5 TIMES SAFER in an impact than forward facing seats. Yet our government and many of our large retail stores that many parents rely on for sensible information decide not to openly talk about or sell these seats.

They are now widely available in many smaller independant stores across the UK and in many cases cost the same or very slightly more than the forward facing seats (ocassionally more expensive than the very cheapest seats).

Apparently it is deemed that British parents will have more trouble fitting these seats or understanding the instructions that our European counterparts- I find that totally patronising.

The facts are clear - by keeping our children rearfacing for as long as possible (eg up to 4) we are protecting them against internal decapitation - very sadly a common cause of death / paralysis that occurs in forward facing seats from crashes even at fairly low speeds....

I think we need to spread the word and get things moving - even mumsnet itself doesn't make the distinction clear or proven safety benefits of these types of seats in it's car seat review section....come on everyone, come on mumsnet.....

[Niceguy2]

I don't think this really requires government action. More publicity perhaps so parents can make informed decisions.

I don't doubt a rear facing seat would be safer in an impact. But at the same time I know the effect a rear facing seat would have had on my family. They'd have been bored and the noise & the moaning from the kids would have driven me to distraction. I'd be more worried about the increased risk of me having an accident from my loss in concentration and shouting at the kids to be quiet, stop kicking etc etc.

I really don't think we need MORE government meddling. We already have the safest roads in Europe.

[silverfrog]

do you really think your children would have been that disruptive, niceguy?

how odd.

you can still talk to them/play I-spy/sing songs/list the number of red cars/a million other tedious toddler in-car activities.

My 2 are far from moel children in the car - we get tthe usual squabbling, non-stop chatter an back chat etc.

they both are/have been in rear facing toddler seats. dd1 is now 6, and so forward facing and her kicking the back of my seat as we drive along is far more distracting than her kicking the back of her seat ever was...

dd2 is coming up to 4, and is still rear facing. she has known nothing else (other than on holidays when we rent a car &seat), and so doesn't complain.

why would your children be more bored just because they are facing the other way? (genuinely curious)

[Niceguy2]

I just think mine would have been even more bored facing backwards than they already were. Once bored, young kids will just kick off.

Like I said, I support more publicity so parents can decide for ourselves. But I don't need yet another law from the nanny state stating what i should/should not do.

Whatever next? Perhaps helmets in buggies in case they bang their head?

[pookamoo]

I think there definitely needs to be a greater awareness of rear facing car seats (which I am using for my DD, who is currently 2).

Perhaps it would help if we provide some links for people to read:

British Medical Journal Article

Rear Facing Information website

As for being bored, I think that as my DD's rear facing seat puts her much higher up than a forward facing seat, she can actually see more than she would if she faced forward. We have an estate car and from her position she can see out of both side windows and the back, whereas if she faced forwards she'd mostly see the back of my head!

I do think this is very much along the lines of the first car seat / seatbelt campaigns, though... many people do take the view "we're ok as we are thanks", but might change their minds if they had more information.

[azazello]

I have a rear facing car seat for DS in my car. Unfortunately, his CM's car [a 2.5 year old toyota] doesn't have ISOFIX and so it is almost impossible to correctly fit a rear facing car seat in the car.

While I agree it is a shame that they are not sufficiently well-known, there does need to be some extra effort put into fitting them as conveniently as possible, especially where the child will travel in more than one car.

[thisisyesterday]

my kids are not at all bored in their rear-facing seats

why would they be?

instead of staring at the back of a seat in front of them, they can look out the back window, and the side windows. they have each other, they can hear story cd's/ tehy can see me in their mirror

what, exactly, do you think would make it any more boring than b eing FF????

oh and ds2 was swapped from FF to RF when he was 2 years old. he didn't complain once about it, he's been very happy

[pookamoo]

Oh and DH and I were discussing the other day that the labelling on the car seats which go from bith up to forward facing (can't remember which group they are) could be clearer.

The labels imply that the car seat SHOULD be turned forward from 9 months (or x weight) whereas what they should actually say is that they should NOT be turned before that time, and ideally the child should stay rear facing for as long as possible.

I checked with Britax and their change-round-able (rear and forward) car seat can be used rear facing right up until the child is at the heaviest weight for the seat.

[thisisyesterday]

not sure why lack of isofix would makje it almost impossible to fit a rear-facing seat???

surely no different than fitting any kind of seat? as long as you make sure you have one that suits the car

ours are both belted seats as we don't have isofix. never had a problem fitting them.

[DancingThroughLife]

Niceguy, government support doesn't necessarily mean another law.

I agree that there should be way more information out there so that it can counter people's common misconceptions and they can make an informed choice.

We have an isofix one, and I don't think that fitting that was any more or less complicated than the next seat, FF or RF. Granted I don't really have much to compare it to, but if you learn it from the car seat fitter at the shop, then it shouldn't be that hard.

And I agree that just because the seat has been tested at a lower weight limit shouldn't mean that's the weight you start using the seat. Or else why would the weight limits overlap?

[azazello]

The non-isofix one we saw at the shop in Milton Keynes (the BeSafe) needed two extra tethering straps which had to move every time the front car seat went forward or back. It took the experienced fitter at least 15 minutes to do it. We have an Isofix rear facing and it is fab, easy, straightforward etc.

The non-isofix seemed completely impossible, especially for a car which we don't own or control and where we wouldn't be able to check for every journey that it is installed properly.

[Carseatcrazy]

I agree with so many of the posters on here, and I apologise, I should have been more clear in my opening post. As DancingThroughLife said, I didn't necessarily mean a new law, just some publicity / recognition of the importance of these seats and the improved safety that they offer.

The other day I drove past mothercare and saw a huge sign guaranteeing parents that they would find and fit the safest seat for their car.....interesting, considering they don't stock rearfacing!!! (I assume it was just out of those that they stock and what they really mean is that they will make sure it is fitted safely for you)- but there is so much information out that which is misleading to parents when making this important decision.

I've even contacted Rospa, who's guide on car seats makes a very small reference to the issue but provides very outdated information about these seats being hard to get in the UK- which as we all know, is now not the case- thank goodness.

Also for instance in my latest pregnancy booklet it talks all about the nice foreward facing seats for 9 months plus, but makes absolutely NO Mention of Rearfacing - unbelievable, when this is supported by the Royal College of Midwives, and given out by NHS staff across the country...

I would just like to see all the official info talking more openly about rearfacing seats, and the large retailers to also stock them, so at least parents can see them side by side, and look at the safety aspects themselves.

I remember being told by a sales rep in a large store that "all car seats are as safe as one another....etc etc", when this is clearly not true- when I challenged them about rearfacing seats, they knew nothing about them!!