Children should ride in rear-facing car seats until they are at least 2 years old instead of 1, according to updated advice from The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Can I get an “Amen”? Or at least a collective “Woohoo”!
Trying to find more details. We’ll post again as soon as we have more info!
March 20, 9:50p
And now, here’s NHTSA’s press release.
Here’s an excellent article from MedPage TODAY.
@Christy, it’s a common misconception that legs can be injured in a crash. In reality, the legs will fly up and away from the back seat in a frontal crash, the most common type of crash. It’s much more important to protect the head in a crash. Studies have actually shown that forward-facing kids sustain more leg injuries than rear-facing kids: https://carseatblog.com/5168/why-rear-facing-is-better-your-rf-link-guide/ .
I agree that it would be safer but I am concerned with my 19 month olds’ feet and legs. I have a convertible seat so I can turn it back RF but the whole reason I turned it FF in the first place is because she was 1 and her legs were hanging over. What about the possible damage to her legs if we were in an accident?
*Happy Dance*
Hopefully state laws change soon too!
AAP new release w/ links to policy and technical report: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/carseat2011.htm
Has everyone checked out NHTSA’s new 4 steps for Kids flier? I love it… great recommendations and simple explanations of why each step if better.
My pediatrician is already on board. She knows rear facing would be safest for all ages, if that were possible.
@Kami, yes, look for a convertible carseat. These models rear-face, then can be turned forward-facing. Check out our Recommended Seats page for some ideas on what to look for: https://carseatblog.com/?page_id=401. You can also ask for suggestions at our forums: http://www.car-seat.org.
I think 2 is great, but I’m particularly glad they said “until at LEAST 2″…better than “up to 2” by far!!