To think there isn't enough information given to parents on car seat safety?

[TokenGinger]

Since I became a first time mum, I've been really surprised at how little information is given to parents on car seat safety. I only stumbled upon a page for Extended Rear Facing after I saw a friend had commented on a post and I've since been researching it in detail.

I'm not sure who I expect to give this information to parents because health professionals are already stretched to capacity, but I just feel it's so important and is something that so many parents I've spoken to are unaware of.

Extended Rear Facing up to 25kg is recommended because a child's spine, neck and pelvis are not mature enough to withstand the impact of a forward facing crash without a much higher risk of serious injury.

I see so many friends post pictures of their children bundled into car seats ready for their journey forward facing and they're still so small and could quite easily still be RF, or even in their infant carrier, but I don't blame them because I'm sure they're just unaware of how much safer it is to rear face.

AIBU to think that this is vital information parents are missing out on being told, and wouldn't necessarily know to research when current advice is that babies only near to rear face until 9kg?

If one is a regular reader of this forum, I don't think anyone could have missed anything on the rear-facing thing.

Every week someone seems to be falling over themselves to explain how unsafe their existing approach is; how much better and optimal it would be to have your child rear facing for longer.

I don't doubt this to be the case, but I do question the absurd fervency on here.

"I'm sure they're just unaware of how much safer it is to rear face."

Perhaps, perhaps people make choices due to car sickness (some kids like to face forwards), some people have already bought their seat and don't want to shell out £250-odd for something on a swivel base with a tether point, blah blah blah..

@gindaddy

I think the same over peoples opinions on here about babies sleeping in the same room as the parents up until 6 months....

In reality people do whats best for them

If one is a regular reader of this forum, I don't think anyone could have missed anything on the rear-facing thing.

I read this forum every single day and can honestly say, I've never come across an ERF thread. I did do a search yesterday for "rear facing" and again didn't see a great deal, but I'm happy to accept that given the boards I have tagged as favourites, I may well miss where these threads are posted.

I completely understand children get sick (I get terrible travel sickness) and other mitigating factors, but I just don't think these things would be a higher priority to me than their safety.

Just to clarify though, I do think people should do what suits them and their children best. I'm not here to push a message or preach about how people do things, my question is, should there be more information given to parents on it so that they can make informed decisions. I was genuinely completely unaware that they could rear face for as long as they can.

I do agree with you but tbh most of the parents I come across know all this but either don't care or think they know better. Of my friendship group I'm the only one who used erf seats for my children and it had nothing to do with the cost either. They seemed to treat it like a 'right of passage' or something equally ridiculous, like it means their child is grown up and more mature for sitting forward facing. Crazy. Why people would take risks like that is beyond me.

@TokenGinger

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3526855-To-keep-my-toddler-rear-facing

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/car_seats_chat/2462344-Rear-facing-up-to-4-yrs-old-or-forward-facing-with-a-view

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2201100-To-be-considering-a-front-facing-car-seat

etc etc....

There are dozens and dozens of them.

And the thing is, the assumption the righteous posters have, is that everyone has £200+ sitting around waiting to "upgrade" their child seat.

Before the RF thing became a thing, people were still doing what they thought was best for their child.

I'm not condoning "ignorance", i'm just saying that the "safety first " lot don't need to always chip in once someone has made what they feel is the best decision for their DC

@TokenGinger I was exactly the same as you. For me I think things don't always appear on my radar until I need them to.

So for example when scrolling active I would not see car seat threads until I had Dd and was thinking about car seats. Same for sleep and feeding etc.

Just the way my brain works.

I had no idea they could rear face for as long either. Lucky for me we have a very good local baby shop with a wonderfully helpful team of staff who will sit for hours with you explaining everything and anything.

I think there is plenty of information out there, it’s up to parents to make the effort to research which is the best seat for their car and needs.

The whole rear facing thing to my mind is just a bit of a stretch too far for many parents.

Car seats are essential. Properly fitted, and appropriate for the age/weight of the child. Using a car seat is going to cut the chances of your child being seriously injured in an accident from (for example as I don't have the exact figures) 80% down to 2%. No brainer. Everyone does it, or everyone should do it.

Rear facing cuts an already very small risk to a slightly smaller risk - say 2% to 1%. Many parents (me included) think that the benefit of a reduction in an already very small risk isn't worth it when weighed against the benefits of having your child facing the front of the car.

There's all sorts of data about how car seats perform if you're rear-ended, t-boned, hit someone from behind.... you can drive yourself daft reading them all and working out which car seat is "best". I'm not saying there isn't a benefit to rear facing. Just that many people ARE aware it's an option, decide it's not for them, and that's fine too. And not unsafe.

I completely agree OP, but people get very defensive about this for some reason!!

I think people get defensive because others can appear a bit preachy, and people take it as a critique of their parenting when (in 90% of cases) people are doing whats best for them

@HmmIsThisAGoodIdea I agree, that's the kind of attitude I've come across, too. A friend of mine had a child at a similar time to me, and they're looking at a colourful Cosatto seat because they like the pattern. When I explained about RF, she wasn't interested because she liked this seat, and said it would be boring for her DS to continue RF.

@moobar I think that's probably right. I guess because I haven't been looking for those things until recently, they haven't jumped out to me.

@GinDaddy Thank you for those links. I agree, parents don't have money just sitting around, especially those amounts. I've managed to get an 18kg seat which should do DS until he is 4 for £50 in the Black Friday sale but if he outgrows that before then, we'll need to invest in a 25kg seat which won't just be an overnight thing. We'd definitely have to save.

@21TokenGinger I've heard that exact excuse so many times too! I just can't get my head around that way of thinking, I really don't understand it.

@PineappleDanish I've just posted the figures and it's 40% risk of serious injury when FF and 8% risk of seriously injury when RF. I don't see a 32% reduction as a small reduction in risk. I'm in no way judging anybody who chooses to FF, as I say, my post was that I didn't feel there was enough advice given to parents, but I do think that it's a risk reduction worth utilising if you are in a position to (ie haven't already spent hundreds on your car seat).

I am a childminder and use erf seats. I tell parents why but it goes over the heads of most. I think there should be a government awareness campaign with the law changing in the not too distant future. I agree it is probably a slightly more pleasant journey for a child foward face and easier to put the child in their seat, but the crash test videos make me feel ill.

Oh and don't get me started on padded coats in child car seats.

@JellyNo15 The padded coats give me so much anxiety. A friend came to my house with her son in a full fleece snowsuit in his car seat. When she took him out of it, I put him in the car seat again and shown her how slack it now was and explained how dangerous it is, and she still drove home the same way 😢

I agree about a government campaign and law change. I do think, though, that in order for parents to ERF for longer, there needs to be more affordable car seats made that don't compromise on safety.

Some parents (like myself) know the scientific risk reduction of the rear facing position, but honestly believe it is safer for the child to be forward facing, if it means they will be happy in the seat and not continuously scream or vomit, which is more likely to distract me while driving.
I have a spin360 seat and I put my 18 month old forward facing as it makes it safer for us in my opinion.

YABU. The onus is on parents to keep their children safe and do some research to make sure they’re doing so.

Responsible adults shouldn’t need spoon feeding information; everyone is perfectly capable of accessing up to date, accurate information and when it concerns their children they absolutely should be making sure their knowledge is spot on.

@coffeeforone I completely get that. I put DS in the front seat with airbags switched off so he can see me. I obviously couldn't do that with two children, though, so can appreciate why some people make that decision.

I agree with @PineappleDanish and I don't think the figures take into account the increased danger of an accident caused by distracted driver when child is screaming because they don't want to face backwards. And if you have a toddler who will vomit while travelling backwards but will be fine when forward facing.

@heartsonacake My point is though, I didn't even know it was a thing to research until I found out about it. I wouldn't even known to have researched when a baby should stay RF until, given the law is up to 9kg. I'd have just gone off that.

I wonder if front seat (rear facing) is safer than rear seat (forward facing). Curious if there are comparable figures.

You don’t need to specifically look for ERF, OP. Anyone doing any research on car seats would find that information.

I have twins and although I would love for them to ERF, I simply cannot afford £300 odd each for two 25kg seats, let alone double that for spares for my husbands van (he does childminder drop-off in the mornings). They are 2.5 and will rear-face in my car until they hit 18kg, but we have just had to buy two cheaper forward facing seats for the van as they have outgrown their Joie tilts (height not weight) in the van.