To think most parents don't know that rearfacing DCs is safer?

[mumaw]

I'm in Facebook groups that specialise in advice for mainly extended rear facing car seats. It's proven that rear facing your child is much, much safer (in fact 500% safer) than front facing.

But I never see anybody RF'ing their child and don't know anybody that does either.

Is it just a case of parents not knowing that its safer?

You're a sensible woman and I'm sure you're aware that there will be genuine reasons for FF kids.

It's a bit of a non thread to be honest.

Seriously how do people manage rear facing until 3 or 4? Mine had long legs and were so cramped that we had to swap them to front facing. How is this not an issue for more people?

Well we just chopped DS's legs off he's totally fine

This thread is getting ridiculous now. Discussions about rear facing always do.

yes there are always the same questions. Where do their legs go - here are some options. www.besafe.com/en/misconceptions-rear-facing-car-seats/

My DD was rear facing until 4. I'm a somewhat lax parent in most areas (I formula fed from birth, oh the horror) but the car seat issue was one that I wasn't going to compromise on. Although DH certainly tried when he saw the price of extended rear facing seats. We had the Cybex Sirona.

I was quite surprised to see most of the other children at nursery forward facing (and lots sitting in the front passenger seat too, which completely baffled me - is that even legal?)

Wow never miss an opportunity to be a know it all mum and look down on somone else's parenting choices ay? Oh well everyone has to have a hobby to fill those empty unfulfilled hours......

My daughter is 2.5, still rf and will be rf until she reaches 25kg or height limit. She's very very talkative and would definitely tell me is she was uncomfortable. She was also one that screamed and screamed every car journey. She had reflux. Once the reflux settled down she stopped the screaming. (obviously I realise that not all those that scream during car journeys have reflux). Its everyone's individual choice but I do think there should be more promotion of the increased safety of rear facing, including dispelling some of the myths about it being uncomfortable, in the same way that the benefits of breastfeeding, risks of smokung/second hand smoke and ways to reduce risks of sids are promoted. Not, to be clear, as a way of shaming / judging people who make a different choice/aren't able to make the choice they would have preferred to make, for whatever reason , but just to ensure that people are making an informed choice.

We don't have a car and don't intend to get one in the next few years so we only use the baby carrier about once every couple of months, unless we go abroad when we'll use it more and usually on coaches and taxis. I've found most rear facing car seats need an isofix base which would be a pain in the neck in a taxi, if at all possible, and not possible at all on the coach. So that's why we'll get a forward facing one, also need to be able to store it away.

@grisen have a look at the Joie Tilt, it doesn't require a base, can be belted in and is fairly inexpensive. It also rear faces to 18kg.

I thought rear facing was either a new parenting technique, like showing them your arse or back as a sign of non aggression

Car seats, really...

My daughter is 19 months and rear facing and none of my friends with babies or a similar age have theirs rear facing anymore. My mum always comments how squashed her legs are and that they would break in a crash. I tell her that’s preferable to her neck! She doesn’t know any different so is quite happy rear facing and will be for a while yet.

Scandinavia do not have a law that insists on rear facing.. It is recommended but not law. Law is that they must be in an appropriate child restraint for height and weight.
We have family living in Denmark and the majority of them use forward facing seats after a year old.
Halford told me my son was too big for rear facing as it would hurt his legs (he was 11 months old) we did keep him rear facing until 14 months old when we decided it was safer to turn him forward facing so we could use the isofix which would be safer than seat belted as ds kept pulling on the seat belt when we were in the car.
He's still rf in my mum's car in a joie 360 spin but his legs don't look the most comfortable at this point (he's 18 months old but in 2 year old clothing)
I'm on the fence.. I think I would probably like to do rf for longer but dh disagrees

And the other issue we have is that if rf there is very little space for front passenger... Dh family are all giants..

My son has just turned 6 and we've just moved him into a FF seat for the first time as he's approaching the 25kg weight limit for RF in the Britax Two Way Elite. He's tall for his age and has never once had any issue with where to put his legs, even on huge road trips.

Jeezo...I rear face my 2 year old because, yes, I believe it is safer right now. But like every parenting decision there's nothing worse than being preached at.

"Scandinavia do not have a law that insists on rear facing"

No they don't, because Scandinavia is not a country.

Your friends in Denmark are not particularly relevant. Sweden is the European (world?) leader in car safety.

Mine rear faced until 4 but was in the minority, I know what my driving's like!

"The typical Swedish family will rear-face until 4-5 even though there isn’t actually a law in the country requiring parents to do so."
(from www.thecarcrashdetective.com/a-guide-to-swedish-child-car-seat-safety-for-americans/)

The article also points out that Norway has followed Sweden's example, but it doesn't mention Denmark.

@AnotherEmma and Sweden do not have a law stating children must be rear facing. They have a recommendation that children up to at least 4 rear face. They recommend rear facing is continued as long as possible within the height limits. It's not law and that is simply what I was stating.
Scandinavia was mentioned as someone up thread had said the UK should follow Scandinavian law on rear facing.
Denmark however is also a Scandinavian country.

In case it wasn't clear enough in my last post: there is no such thing as Scandinavian law! That's the simple point I was making.

Clearly they have achieved behavioural change without legislation, commendable IMO. It does seem that a lot of British people think that legal = safe and will only do something if the law tells them to. The "Scandinavians" (insofar as they are a homogenous group - but they are not) seem to have a different attitude.

Incidentally the rankings for lowest infant mortality in road accidents are as follows:

1. Norway
2. Sweden
3. UK

(And Denmark lags behind at 9) Source - pg 13

Correction: child (not infant) mortality

and lots sitting in the front passenger seat too, which completely baffled me - is that even legal?

Why wouldn't it be legal? Any child in a suitable car seat can sit in the front passenger seat?

Joie Stages is another belted ERF seat (can also FF when you need it to).

While there are some knowledgeable people about, I need to buy a ERF seat for my DM's car on the odd occasion (talking about maybe once or twice a year probably) she will drive my DD. I want something reasonably priced and easy to install and remove. I'm thinking maybe one of the Joie seats might fit the bill? Tilt or Stages? Our 'home' seat is a Britax Dualfix.