A new rear-facing study up to 4 yrs old

[Hawkeyewife]

"Rear Facing Car Seats Protect Toddlers Better", yet another article about the improved safety of our little ones when they are placed in rear-facing seats versus forward facing ones.

Rear-facing car seats protect toddlers better - Kids and parenting- msnbc.com

also, Graco recently came out with a carseat, The Myride 65 Converitble (which can be purchased at Wal-Mart for $149) that can be used from birth to 65 pounds and up to 40 pounds rear-facing, the highest any car seat in the US goes rear facing. I am not sure about how easy these seats are to install (we currently have Britax and Sunshine Kids seats installed in our cars), but there seems to be a market response to the increased information on this subject. YAY!

Here's a link to the Graco site:
http://www.gracobaby.com/Catalog/Pages/ProductListingPage.aspx?catid=10:41||1+10434:4294958943||1#

 

[Larry Gude]

I wonder how the safety study would look when comparing kid injuries in a Prius vs. a Suburban, both in forward facing and rear facing seats? I would venture that vehicle size and strength far out strips which direction Jr. is facing.

What's more important, safety or fuel economy?

 

[bcp]

I wonder how the safety study would look when comparing kid injuries in a Prius vs. a Suburban, both in forward facing and rear facing seats? I would venture that vehicle size and strength far out strips which direction Jr. is facing.

What's more important, safety or fuel economy?

Since the reason for rear facing is to prevent injury to the neck due to the head snapping forward during a frontal type accident, I suspect that the Prius might win that competition.
the Suburban is less likely to fold when hit, that means that the body of the car/truck is not absorbing as much of the impact as the Prius, that does fold up. The head snapping would be worse in the heavier vehicle given the quicker reduction in speed when hit.

 

[Larry Gude]

Since the reason for rear facing is to prevent injury to the neck due to the head snapping forward during a frontal type accident, I suspect that the Prius might win that competition.
the Suburban is less likely to fold when hit, that means that the body of the car/truck is not absorbing as much of the impact as the Prius, that does fold up. The head snapping would be worse in the heavier vehicle given the quicker reduction in speed when hit.

We have a different understanding of physics.

 

[morningbell]

We have a different understanding of physics.

Were you taught physics

 

[Mojo]

Since the reason for rear facing is to prevent injury to the neck due to the head snapping forward during a frontal type accident, I suspect that the Prius might win that competition.
the Suburban is less likely to fold when hit, that means that the body of the car/truck is not absorbing as much of the impact as the Prius, that does fold up. The head snapping would be worse in the heavier vehicle given the quicker reduction in speed when hit.

I think I would rather be in a Surburban than a tin can like the Prius.

 

[Sweet 16]

I'm wondering how the heck do you cram a 40-lb. kid into a rear-facing seat in a Prius anyway? A 40-lb. child could be lanky 6 or 7 year-old, and you would think getting their legs to fit comfortably or at all would be a problem. I am all for safety and protecting children, but you have to wonder how much influence the car seat companies have in these studies.

 

[K_Jo]

My daughter would be pissed if I made her face backwards again. She wouldn't be able to see her DVD player!

 

[Hawkeyewife]

Since the reason for rear facing is to prevent injury to the neck due to the head snapping forward during a frontal type accident, I suspect that the Prius might win that competition.
the Suburban is less likely to fold when hit, that means that the body of the car/truck is not absorbing as much of the impact as the Prius, that does fold up. The head snapping would be worse in the heavier vehicle given the quicker reduction in speed when hit.

I doubt the model/make of a vehicle changes the forces that a child feels when forward facing so much that it would be safer to be forward facing in a Suburban than rear facing in a Prius. Regardless of which vehicle your child is riding in, he/she is five times safer rear facing.

 

[Hawkeyewife]

Here's a youtube video about the importance of rear-facing, including crash test video and photos of kids seated rear-facing well beyond 12 months old (with thier cute little folded legs etc).

YouTube - The Importance of Rear-Facing

In Sweden, children are required to be rear-facing until they are 4 yrs old. Thier cars are not larger than ours, however they have seats that accomodate larger children more comfortably. Maybe in the years to come, we'll see the US market also offer similar solutions.

BTW, my 18 month old is still rear facing and will remain in his seat until he either reaches the weight limit of 35 pounds or the top of his head is within an inch of the top of the seat and then will remain in his 5 point harness forwaqrd facing until the limits are reached in that seat, my 6 yr old is still in a five point harness.

 

[Larry Gude]

Were you taught physics

Yes. They taught me that your kids are safer in a bigger car.

 

[Toxick]

I think that all cars should be banned, and everyone should start using Segways wrapped in bubble-wrap for all conveyance.



Until we get the kinks worked out of teleportation technology, it's the only sensible way.

 

[Larry Gude]

I think that all cars should be banned, and everyone should start using Segways wrapped in bubble-wrap for all conveyance.

I'm fine with that. Except for me. I get to drive a full size truck.

 

[Elle]

I think children should be banned from all moving vehicles until they are 18 or older - just too much of a risk.

 

[czygvtwkr]

I had a head on crash once, I was in a 79 Buick and barely felt it. The car that hit me head on was a 93 Plymouth Sundance, it left the ground, broke its engine mount and had to be pulled off the street with a tow truck. My Buick didn't even stall, I had a small dent in the front bumper and the plastic grill was cracked. I have hit potholes harder than that Sundance.

 

[kom526]

Another bubble child thread...

Maybe the video on youtube is compelling, but so was the dateline video about pickup truck gas tanks. :rigged: I don't know why the public allows themselves to be force fed this garbage from the NHTSB, car seat manufacturers, Naderites and especially that group of loons over at Science and the Public Interest (or whatever). Most of us on here were NEVER in a car seat and look, WE'RE STILL ALIVE! That is the damnedest thing. As far as the Government (we're here to help) requiring cars to accommodate a 4 year old in a rear facer, well I think you are going to get your wish because not only is Obama the POTUS, he's also the head of GM now!

 

[itsbob]

Since the reason for rear facing is to prevent injury to the neck due to the head snapping forward during a frontal type accident, I suspect that the Prius might win that competition.
the Suburban is less likely to fold when hit, that means that the body of the car/truck is not absorbing as much of the impact as the Prius, that does fold up. The head snapping would be worse in the heavier vehicle given the quicker reduction in speed when hit.

I'm not a big physics person, but unless you are driving the suburban into a brick wall the object in motion will remain in motion..

eg.. The Suburban hits the PRIUS.. the PRIUS stops (as do all the hearts of the people in the PRIUS).. THe heavier Suburban, on the other hand, will continue in it's trajectory albeit an altered trajectory. The sudden stop you speak WILL be felt by the Prius, not so much as the Suburban..

Secondly, if you look at trucks made today, they have the EXACT same bumpers as cars, crumple zones, and even air bags.. Check out a Hummer after a crash, they don't look any tougher than a PRIUS after a crash.. THAT being said, the Suburban has much more mass.. the crumple zone in front of the driver is the size of a PRIUS.. a whole lot has to go wrong for something to intrude into the drivers compartment. Suburban PRIUS head on, the Prius would still be trying to get through the first six inches of the Suburban's crumple zone, as the Suburban is driving through the Prius' rear bumper.

NOW with that being said.. is any of this REALLY a problem or are we trying to invent a problem to sell a product??


For example, there are data that many fatalities in young forward-facing riders could have been averted with a rear-facing seat. An analysis of U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data of 870 children involved in crashes from 1998 to 2003 found that through 23 months of age, better protection from all crash types was provided with rear-facing seats.

870 children involved in crashes from 1998 to 2003... I'm guessing there were a LOT more than that in those 8 years, so did they hand select which accidents they were going to investigate?

If 870 is the true number over 5 years.. that gives you 174 a year.. with the US population about 300,000,000.. We're talking some astronomically low numbers here as far as probability of one getting into an accident, two the accident being severe enough to cause injury.. and 3 bad enough to injure a child in ANY kind of car seat. I don't think we should focus on rear or forward, when a lot of parents don't use a child seat of ANY kind to begin with.

The research wasn't unbiased I'd bet.

 

[itsbob]

I doubt the model/make of a vehicle changes the forces that a child feels when forward facing so much that it would be safer to be forward facing in a Suburban than rear facing in a Prius. Regardless of which vehicle your child is riding in, he/she is five times safer rear facing.

With a name like Hawkeye wife, I assume your husband is a pilot??

How fast does his plane go?? A lot faster than a Prius or a Suburban I bet...

Which way does his seat face?? I bet he'd be a LOT safer in a rear facing seat too..

And you'd be wrong in your first statement.

 

[czygvtwkr]

With a name like Hawkeye wife, I assume your husband is a pilot??

How fast does his plane go?? A lot faster than a Prius or a Suburban I bet...

Which way does his seat face?? I bet he'd be a LOT safer in a rear facing seat too..

And you'd be wrong in your first statement.

Actually the passenger seats in a C2 face backwards........it doesnt really go much faster than a surburban LOL.

 

[depechemode]

I was reading a similar thread here a bit ago and I liked the whole idea of government recommendation vs government mandate, or something like that. Recommendations, PSAs, and all that is one thing but when they come in and start making decisions and requirements for people, well that is another.
Are children safer in car seats, probably yes, extended rear facing, again I will say (IMO) probably yes. But in the end it should be a personal parenting decision not some forced government mandate.