...to ask when FF becomes actually safer than RF?

[crazycatlady5]

Soz, I spose I’m posting for traffic.

My 11 month old hates the car with a passion. She always has but it’s just got worse and worse. I’ve just driven 4 hours to see family for Christmas and she screamed the entire time. I stopped occasionally when I could to calm her down but it makes no difference. I try various distraction techniques but it doesn’t work. It was so stressful I felt like I might crash at any moment. So my question is, who has felt going FF in the hopes it might improve how baby feels in the car is actually SAFER (because you’re not so distracted you feel like you can’t drive safely) rather than stay RF?

Before anyone posts stats and facts about why ERF is safer I do know all that

The factor that has a the greater effect on surviability or life changing injuries of a collision is age/make/model of the vehicle. Older vehicles make up 1/5 of the vehicles on the road, but account for 1/3 of fatalities.

So I'd worry less about the car seat and more about what you are putting it into. No idea what you are currently driving round in, or what your budget is, but get the newest, highest ncap rated car you can afford.

Then your conscience is clear. You are doing the best you can.

Is it an isize car seat? If it is I think that legally you have to be rf until 15 months?
My dd went through the same at about 11/12 months but after a few months she was fine again and is still rf at 20 months

My 15 month old also isn't a big fan of being awake for car journeys longer than 30 mins so we always try and coordinate long journeys with nap time/bed time so she sleeps most of the way. Not always possible but I had got into a habit of passing her baby biscuits repeatedly in journeys just to stop the screaming. Except now she screams for biscuits

Depending on what type of erf seat you have it may be illegal for you to turn her

We didn’t ERF for this reason but we did persist to the limits with RF. I can’t remember what that was - 13kg? 15 months?
He also gets sick on coaches.
I know people who can’t travel backwards on trains so I do think it’s genuine.