By Maya Orthous on July 28th, 2022 in Car / Auto Accident
Your 1-year-old is Not too big to Rear Face
Your 2-year-old is Not too big to Rear Face
Your 3-year-old is Likely Not too big to Rear Face.
Carseat safety is not a parenting choice, it’s a requirement such as feeding them and loving them.
It’s never too late to turn back. Here’s the reality of how your child’s body will move in a rear-facing vs forward-facing crash traveling at roughly 30mph. Children MUST ride rear-facing until AT LEAST two.
More information visit: Buckle up with Brutus
Why Rear-Facing?
Previously, the only data with hard numbers comparing injury when rear versus forward facing were centered around that age group. However, age two is truly a bare minimum. According to the previously noted study, at age three there is still only a 50% probability that the C3 vertebra has finished ossification. The older a child gets, the more time their spinal column has to strengthen and the reality is the longer, the better. Most car seats on the market today will easily rear face even above average height and weight kids until 3-4 years of age. Without a CT scan, there is no way to know what stage of development your child’s spinal column is in, so the safest option is to rear face to the maximum weight or height of a convertible car seat. As time goes on and more older children are rear facing, there will be more scientific data to compare the benefits of a rear facing car seat for preventing spinal injury.
Car Seat Myths
Here are just some of the most prominent myths.
- Myth One: My child is too big and has long legs
- children are very flexible and can always easily find a comfortable position in a rear-facing seat. Injuries to the legs are very rare for children facing the rear.
- Myth Two: My child is So uncomfortable
- Toddlers’ joints are far more flexible than ours are as adults. This means positions that may seem uncomfortable to the eye may not be for the child.
- Myth Three: My car is too small
- There are many different types of rear-facing car seats on the market for any size car.
- Myth four: My toddler hates rear-facing
- At the end of the day, it is about your child’s safety. Safety always comes first.
- Myth six: My pediatrician said it was fine
- The science is very clear: spinal maturity happens with age; whether a child is 18 months and 20 pounds or 18 months and 30 pounds – their spines are maturing at the same rate and are similarly vulnerable to significant injury.
Need more evidence, visit: Rear Facing Car Seat Myth Busted
Never use a car seat that:
- Is too old
- Has any visible cracks on it
- Does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number
- Does not come with instructions
- Has missing parts
- Was recalled
- Do not use seats that have been in a moderate or severe crash
Need More Information
Visit: Healthy Children and Car Seat for the littles
Have you been in a car accident?
A car accident lawyer at Sessions & Fleischman can help you. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. We will help you understand the process that your case will follow and we work to help you receive the compensation that you deserve.
