New and important car-seat video - it can save lives!

Please help spread the video on Facebook, Twitter and so on to help this important message catch on. It is such a shame that parents don't get this vital information, everyone wants there child to be as safe as possible in the car. Every day two small children is killed in car accidents in Europe(that is 730 children each year!), if all children under four years sat rear-facing many lives could be spared. Mind you that this message is important not only to parents in Europe but every parents that drives a car with their little children in it.

In 2008 ANEC, the European consumer organization, published a research report based on real accidents in US, UK and Sweden. Especially the UK numbers were sad, of the 8 death accidents study from the UK 6 children could have survived(some of them with only bruises) if the had been in a correctly installed rear-facing car seat instead of a forward facing one. ANEC's conclusion was that all children in Europe under the age of four should be in rear-facing car seats. The whole report can be read here.

Important: Check out how long your seat can be used rear-facing. One can not just turn a seat to rear-facing position if the seat is not created for that purpose and it is important to check the rear-facing limit of your car seat(a child over that limit can not use the car seat rear-facing).

In European it is possible to get rear-facing car seats that can be used up to 25 kg(55 lbs). All children should stay rear-facing until they are four years old, remember that bent legs is not dangerous(many parents turn their kids forward-facing way to early because they believe their children's legs is hurting even when the child never once has complained about it. More on bent legs).

Rear facing car seats with 25 kg(55 lbs) weight limit

Here is a list of European car seats that can be used rear facing up till 25 kg(55 lbs):

• Britax Secura
• Britax Hi-Way
• Britax Freeway
• Britax Two Way Elite
• Britax Multitech
  
• Brio Zento
  
• MaxiCosi Mobi
  
• Akta Graco Cosmic Comfort S

Joel's story

This is a story that needs to be told(and read by everyone that has children), Joel's family have shared their story hoping that other parents can learn from it and maybe their story can help prevent similar accidents from happening. Let's hope Joel's story can contribute to make parents aver on the importance of extended rear facing and let people know that there has been a huge gap in the recommendations(what is safest for our children) and the law. Let's hope for a change in the laws concerning children's safety in cars. Here is Joel's story :



For those of you who wants to know how Joel is doing now pleas visit his families website Joel's Journey.

Two new web shop's for the English speaking market

It can be a bit tricky to get a rear facing car seat for those who lives outside Scandinavia, here is a couple of on line stores making it easier to get a hold of a rear facing car seat for your toddler:

Opening 14th April 2009

Rear Facing - The way forward has got a buyers guide on their webpage(for readers in the UK).

Crash test

Please feel free to share

Printable information

New European research - children should sit rear facing in the car up till four years of age

The picture to the left shows a five year old boy rear facing in a Britax Multitech(the seat is RF up till 55 lbs) in the back of a VW Passat.

A small cut from the report:

Child safety in cars: A wide gulf has developed between technology and legislation

Children up to four years of age would be better protected in cars if they traveled rearward-facing in a suitable child restraint, rather than forward-facing as is the usual practice in most of Europe. Suitable seats are widely used in the Nordic countries, but are not readily available in the rest of Europe. The law and the supply of seats, together with the information for parents, are in urgent need of revision. These are the conclusions of a study commissioned by ANEC looking at the lessons to be learned from accidents in the UK, US and
Sweden

A small quote from section: 5 - Findings based on the UK fatal Accidents Data

5.1 Forward Facing child seats

....In six of the eight accidents the research team judged that the child would have survived had they been seated in a suitable rearward facing car seat. The agees of these children ranged from five and three-quarter months to just under four years old. In the remaining two cases the protection offered by a rearward facing seat would have been compromised by additional loading from luggage in the boot area and gross roof intrusion into the seating position. The children in these accidents were aged seven months and one and a half years old.

The organization wants to make rear-facing car seats available in all of Europe and says that children should stay rear-facing up till four years.

The picture to the left shows a four year old girl(110 cm & 18 kg) rear facing in a Britax Two Way Elite and a three year old boy(93 cm & 13 kg) rear facing in a Akta Graco Duologic seat. They sit in the back of a VW Golf st.

About ANEC:

ANEC, the European Association for the Co-ordination of Consumer Representation in Standardization (known informally as 'the European consumer voice in standardization'), is an organization promoting and defending consumer interests in the processes of standardization and certification and in legislation related to standardization and certification.

ANEC provides technical expertise and advice drawn from a network of more than 200 consumer representatives across Europe. The organization's experts contribute directly to the work of more than 80 technical committees and working groups of the European Standards Organizations, CEN, CENELEC and ETSI.

Source: Wikipedia



For those of you who wants to learn more, look at real crash test data and more:


The main findings from the ANEC study
The enitre study