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Original poster

New! EU wants to forbid forward facing car seats

301 replies

MissHH · 25/06/2008 07:03

Read more here:

kidsincars.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-european-research-children-should.html

What do you think? I can clearly understand why looking at that report.

OP posts:
Pixiepants · 25/06/2008 21:38

There's not a massive price difference between top price bracket FF and RF, and some things in life are worth spending a bit more on, even though sacrifices might have to be made elsewhere....

MrsAki · 25/06/2008 21:44

I agree with Pixiepants on that. I have ended up buying 2 RF seats, one for our car and one for our childminder's car, as I will not allow my daughter to go forward facing in the childminder's car. So I have spent quite a lot but it is worth every penny in my opinion. We buy toys and clothes in charity shops instead

Original poster
MissHH · 25/06/2008 22:01

About being careful about saying that 6 out of 8 children would have survived if they where RF, no I won't be careful!

Here it is straight out of the research report:

"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."

OP posts:
FairyMum · 25/06/2008 22:25

My children loved going RF.They can see so much more. They have a better view out the back window and can wave to people in the car behing. The RF seats are often much higher up too, so they feel "big".

Pixiepants · 25/06/2008 22:51

Who will get to see this new report and will it bring about change in this country? Is it up to concerned parents to spread the word and approach road safety officers and MP's with it, or will it be sent to them by the authors?

Having scrolled through the popular topics for the last 15 mins on this site, I think most people are looking for a bit of light relief and don't want to think about car safety...

I think I'll get letter writing and phoning movers and shakers instead!

MrsAki · 25/06/2008 23:07

If you want to write letters, you will find some nice email templates to use here

The authors of the ANEC report are commenting on the current situation in the UK here. They really believe that rear facing is in fact the safest alternative, and are not afraid to say so

Original poster
MissHH · 26/06/2008 07:24

How clever to make email templates, MrsAki! Then everyone who wants to can send an e-mail

OP posts:
Pixiepants · 26/06/2008 10:48

Has anyone who already has a RF Group 1 seat got any complaints? I've yet to hear any, but that might because they're not widely used yet here. So far, anyone who has one seems quite happy with them!

I have found that my Britax Fixway obscures the side back window a bit, but it's not really a problem and it means DD has a good view too.

MisConDuct · 26/06/2008 10:59

Are the rear facing seats they use a different design? I'm just interested as my ds1 at 9 months practically had his legs wrapped round his neck when we moved him up a seat anyway. He was 9lb 14 born and we are a tall family, the edge of the carseat was up agaisnt the seat back. I believe you when they say that the children manage in Sewden but I do wonder if the seats are a completely different design as I just can't see it physically being possible with the kind of seats we have.
If it does become law then thats a new bigger car for us then, as its a squeeze for 3 in the back anyway. I'm not against it though if its safer and a bonus is perhaps it'll force dhs company to offer a decent car.

Monkeytrousers · 26/06/2008 11:04

Hiow much are these seats? anyone?

FairyMum · 26/06/2008 11:07

The Britax Nordic Fixway (isn't that the name?) is around £250 I think.

Monkeytrousers · 26/06/2008 11:11

Oh FFS.

Hooe the fuck cna the average person afford that? And not only for their car, but bith grandparents too?

The reports are terrifyinmg, but for most of us, at that price, we'll just end up having to cross our fingers and hope for the best.

It makes me so mad that saftey is so prohibitely expensive!

misdee · 26/06/2008 11:24

ok

a maxi cosi cabrio isoxif base and seat = £170 or there abouts

the next stage car seat, say a britax seat is approx £100

so for the price of two seats that go birth to 4, you get one better seat.

the nordic fixway isofix one is £274 and on my list.

the concord ultimax, rearfacing to just opver 28lb (cant remember the kg weight) is £130

the britax first class, which is rear anf ff again like the concord, is £130 and rearfaces til 13kg.

the last two seats wont go rearfacing till age 4, unless your kids are small like dd2 (who is only just over 28lb at 3.5years old), but have a lot more room than baby carriers.

Pixiepants · 26/06/2008 11:25

Hopefully the price will come down as demand rises Monkeytrs, and yes they do cost slot at the moment. (Cheapest is around £200).

We'd budgeted £100 for a FF, but then heard about RF and went on an economy drive to make up with difference as we felt that this was more important.

Sadly, no amount of economising will make up the difference for some families and it would be great if people in this situation could apply for grants for carseats and the like, (maybe they can, I don't know?). However, just because some people would struggle to buy them, shouldn't mean they aren't widely available.

FairyMum · 26/06/2008 11:27

Yes, I had the same discussion with a mum the other day. She was saying how expensive these car seats were. I know for a fact her children have all the latest Nintendo this, that and the other. Its about priorities for MOST people.

Pixiepants · 26/06/2008 11:49

MisConDuct...just seen your post and yes, they are a Group 1 seat. Nothing like the Group 0 rearfacing seats. They have been designed for children upto around 4 years of age so plenty of room for arms, legs etc and higher up so LO's can see out of the windows....(I'm nicking your line's here MrsAki)

Monkeytrousers · 26/06/2008 11:55

Yeah well great, after a few more poor kids die

Pixiepants · 26/06/2008 12:08

Seems you feel as passionately as me about this Monkeytrs. That's why I'm using my DD's naptime to keep this thread bumped. Hopefully a few more people will find out these seats actually exist. Hopefully a few more people will ask retailers and manufacturers to make them more available. Hopefully, it won't take years for this to happen and most importantly, I hope no parent has to come to terms with losing a child because our government recommend a FF seat for their child at 9 months and they didn't know there was an alternative.

Hope you have a few minutes to write to Britax perhaps?

Monkeytrousers · 26/06/2008 12:16

I do feel passioante - passionately pissed off now. There is no way we can afford these seats. I don;t know what to think about it.

What is all this crap then about booster seats? I know they are better than nothing, but most people think they are recommended. - others can't wait to get them out of rear facing infant seats as a kind of rite of passage into toddlerhood.

The mixed messages are doing no one any good and putting lifes a huge risk. I wopnder sometimes that there has to be some pact with manufacturers to keep the waters permenently muddy on this issue.

morningpaper · 26/06/2008 12:21

I don't really understand why parents are so uptight about car seats being EVEN SAFER

Research shows that plane and rail seats are far safer if they are facing backwards, but no one campaigns for that, or for seatbelts on buses and coaches

And we take children on the backs of bikes which is SO much more statistically dangerous

10 children die crossing the road EVERY DAY

I don't understand why car seat safety has to be endlessly tweaked

artichokes · 26/06/2008 12:25

I tend to agree MP. That is what I meant by "risk is relative".

Dropdeadfred · 26/06/2008 12:28

MISDEE - I ahve the concord ultimax - dd3 was rearfacing until she was 2.5 years and to be honest could still be now but we turned it round and she now prefers ff.

It's a great seat!

morningpaper · 26/06/2008 12:30

risk is relative, indeed

Factoid: six times as many children are killed by being crushed by televisions than in public playgrounds

misdee · 26/06/2008 12:33

MT, dd1 got teased about being a 'baby seat' at age 5. she was in a high backed booster, and will stay in it until she is tall enough to not have a seat at all. this was before the new car seat rules had come in, and most f her friends didnt even use booster seats.

car seat safety is such an issue in this country. i stil lremember the outcry over the new rules. loasds of 'my child wont like being put in a booster seat when we got rid of it age age 3/4/5/whatever'.

i changed my dd's seat when i found out the currents ones we had didnt perform well on which? tests.

Pixiepants · 26/06/2008 12:50

I'm sorry this thread has chucked a spanner in the works for you Monkeytrs.

The alternative was to buy the seat for my DD and keep my head down, knowing that she's five times safer than FF. (Bit more than tweaking seats IMO). I decided not to do that but realise it put's some parents in awkward positons.

Also, MP, car bodyshell's are becoming tougher to protect adults in collisions but this makes it more dangerous for children. That's why carseats have to keep being improved too.