The most dangerous thing that U.S. children do as part of daily life is ride in a car. Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for children 4 years and older.
Using the correct car safety seat or booster seat can help decrease the risk of death or serious injury by over 70%, and parents look to their pediatricians as a trusted source of guidance.
New evidence over the past decade prompted the policy update.
The impact of the revised policy should be minimal, as the only significant change is the removal of a specific age, 2 years, as a criterion for when a child changes from a rear- to a forward-facing car safety seat.
Guidance for families
Pediatricians should be prepared to provide advice at every health maintenance visit to ensure that children are as safe as possible. The evidence-based recommendations call for the following:
- Children should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat as long as possible, up to the limits of their car safety seat. This will include virtually all children under 2 years of age and most children up to age 4.
- Once they have been turned around, children should remain in a forward-facing car safety seatup to that seat’s weight and length limits. Most seats can accommodate children up to 60 pounds or more.
- When they exceed these limits, child passengers should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they can use a seat belt that fits correctly.
- Once they exceed the booster limits and are large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should always use a lap and shoulder belt.
- All children younger than 13 years should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection.
Did they do any study on the mental effects on the child for having the child sit backwards and look at nothing for hours straight – torturous!! I’m sure it’s safer for adults to also sit in a rear facing seat… I’ve had my kid in a rear facing seat for a long trip and I say never again!
Hoping that all the people who read this very important article adhere to these policies. Everyday I see many, many children riding in cars using no carseats at all. The police should be ticketing all drivers who do not have their precious children in carseats.
Study sponsored by Greco.
I had my first 3 kids rear facing for 1 year only, as was required back then.
My 4th child I kept fear facing until 3 and a half. Like most people, I didn’t think it was possible to keep a child rear facing for so long and was quite surprised!
If the car seat is installed properly, the child will be very comfortable and can look out of the back or side windows. In a minivan the child can look at other children sitting in the back row.
My 5th child is now 2 kah and plan on keeping rear facing for as long as possible.
How is it even possible to keep a child rear facing for so long? Where is my 3 yr old supposed to put her feet?