| What is the safest, a forward or rear facing child | | | | paralysis and permanent injury. Babies and small |
| safety seat? Everyone has a different answer on this | | | | children are at risk for more severe spinal cord and |
| and many states have different laws governing the | | | | brain and neck injuries as their muscles are weaker |
| age, weight or size of the child or infant in question. By | | | | and their head weighs significantly more in proportion |
| looking at and interpreting car accident reports and | | | | to the rest of their body. This increases the extent and |
| data it is an obvious finding that the severity of | | | | severity of whiplash injuries. According to the National |
| accidents were reportedly lower when a rear facing | | | | Institute for Highway Safety: |
| child safety seat was used properly. | | | | Rear-facing car seats spread frontal crash forces |
| It is important to say when used properly here as data | | | | over the whole area of the babys back, head and |
| from fire department personnel through the years | | | | neck; they also prevent the head from snapping |
| shows upwards of 50% of child safety seats are not | | | | relative to the body in a frontal crash. |
| properly installed. This could be as simple as the belt | | | | So, it is obvious that we should use a rear facing child |
| tensioner not being pulled tight enough, but there have | | | | safety seat for as long as feasible and as required by |
| been instances where the child was sitting on top of | | | | our state and federal driving laws. It is important to |
| the restraints (the restraints were only protecting the | | | | note that regardless of the child safety seat used, not |
| seat in this instance and not the child). The latest most | | | | all injuries can be prevented. Unfortunately some |
| famous instance of abuse of child safety seat laws is | | | | crashes are unavoidable and unsurvivable. Still, we can |
| Britney Spears driving with her child in her lap. There is | | | | do much to increase our chances of survival for our |
| a lot of literature available on how to properly install | | | | children by properly installing the child safety seats. It is |
| and adjust a child safety seat, but more needs to be | | | | a good idea to stop by your local fire department and |
| done to reduce unnecessary injuries due to improperly | | | | have them look at your child safety seats. They are |
| installed child safety seats. | | | | trained to know exactly what is and is not safe in |
| Even though any child safety seat is better than none, | | | | these safety seats and its free. Besides, kids love |
| a rear facing seat is especially important for babies | | | | firemen and fire engines, they will have fun and you will |
| and small children as they can face the highest risks of | | | | feel better about their safety. |