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Children Safer In Rear Facing Child Seats
Tue, 16 Jun 2009

Parents should ensure children under the age of four are sat facing backwards rather than forwards when travelling in a car as it could help avoid chest and spinal injuries, according to new research.

A study carried out by the AA motoring group suggests that many parents are unaware of the risks involved in switching their child to a forward-facing seat too early, or even that rear-facing car seats for toddlers exist.

The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed that most parents in the UK change to a front-facing seat when their child is just eight months old and this could increase the risk of injury in the event of car crash .

However, safety experts claim parents should follow the example of Sweden where youngsters use a rear-facing seat up to the age of four.

Rear-facing seats provide a safer option due to the fact that they keep the child's spine more aligned with the neck and head. However, this type of car seat is generally more expensive and difficult to find.

The AA called on manufacturers and retailers to increase the availability of rear-facing seats in shops and recommended that European child seats, designed for youngsters weighing less than 20lbs, are re-labelled to help parents make a safer choice.

AA president Edmund King said: "In very large cars, rearward seats can work and provide extra safety. In smaller cars, however, the advantage is overcome by a lack of practicality."

"With the cost of fuel and environmental considerations people are buying smaller cars and, for many families, mum's car is likely both to be small and the one most used to carry the children."

"Many three and four-year-olds will be unhappy facing backwards as, by that age, they want to talk to the other people in the car and know what is going on."

Duncan Vernon, safety manager for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "The evidence shows that it is safer for children to travel rearward-facing for as long as possible, although that does not mean forward-facing seats are dangerous."

He added that parents should not be tempted to switch to a forward-facing seat as soon as their child reached the minimum weight (9kg/20lb).
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