Age Group | Type of Seat | General Guidelines |
Rear-facing only seats and rear-facing convertible seats | All infants and toddlers should ride in a Rear-Facing Car Safety Seat until they are 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer. | |
Toddler/preschoolers | Convertible seats and forward-facing seats with harness | All children 2 years or older, or those younger than 2 years who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their car safety seat, should use a Forward-Facing Car Safety Seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed their car safety seat’s manufacturer. |
Booster seats | All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their car safety seat should use a Belt-Positioning Booster Seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age. | |
Seat belts | When children are old enough and large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should always use Lap and Shoulder Seat Belts for optimal protection. All children younger than 13 years should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection. |
In a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics(published online March 21), the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
“A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Dr. Durbin said. “For larger children, a forward-facing seat with a harness is safer than a booster, and a belt-positioning booster seat provides better protection than a seat belt alone until the seat belt fits correctly.”From the same article above here is the clip that convinced me to ERF. How can you read this and do otherwise?
New research has found children are safer in rear-facing car seats. A 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention showed that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding rear-facing.That "severely injured part" gets me. Here's a great report on neck injuries and crash protection. A child's neck is better protected RF than FF at this young age.
Here is a look at our RF carseat installed in our Honda Element. I'm showing you this because I have to climb inside our car to buckle Penelope in. It's difficult and sometimes painful but I hope this shows how dedicated we are to protecting our children. Not to show off but to show you have important this is to us.My baby's legs are really bent against the seatback.
One of the most common concerns for parents is that their child's legs are bent and appear uncomfortable against the seatback, and in that position are at a higher risk for injury in a crash.First, children are far more flexible than we are and most likely aren't uncomfortable in this position. Second, crash data shows that lower-extremity injuries (such as those to the legs) are rare for children who ride rear-facing and are as likely to happen rear facing as forward-facing. Riding forward-facing does increase the risk of head and spinal injuries however, which are far more serious than a broken leg.I can't reach or see my child to hand him a drink or snack.
Regardless of your child's orientation, passing a snack is a risky move, because drivers tend to turn the steering wheel when they're reaching, which could lead to an accident. Eating in the car is not a 'best practice' in general, since being secured in a separate seat delays your ability to respond, should there be any choking, spilling, etc. Allow time for snacking before you head out, or plan a few minutes to stop during your trip for a bite or drink.My child is eager to turn forward-facing now that he's 'big.'
Though parents may be eager to graduate their children to the next step to mark their growth (and potentially to make things easier for themselves), the fact is that each step forward to the next type of child restraint actually marks a step down in terms of overall safety for the child. For example, for children who could potentially ride either way based on their height, age and weight, forward-facing is less safe overall than rear-facing. Similarly, for slightly older children, using a booster seat is less safe than a forward-facing harness. Be consistent and don't make exceptions—such as "I'll let him sit forward-facing in Grandma's car"—and children are less likely to object.
