RF safer....because?

[Carter's Mommy]

Does anyone have a link to the video that compares a crash between RF and FF? Any other links to helpful info on why to keep your child RF beyond a year? My mom makes comments about my sons legs getting squished, etc. b/c I haven't turned him around yet...and I don't plan too for a very long time. He's 16 months, 31 inches and 23 pounds. I'd love to have some useful info to pass on...I'm sure others will start to question me soon too and I'd love to be able to quickly return safety facts!

Can I just add that it's very irritating that the perception seems to be children need to be FF at a year? I just went to the pediatrician and filled out a survey that asked if DS is always in a car seat facing forward in the back seat. I marked no...RF is safer! And the owner's manual for my car says, "A child who is at least one year old and fits within the child seat maker's weight and height limits, should be restrained in a FF, upright child seat." I know it says "at least one," but still it seems to imply FF and has no mention of RF for children over one.

[CRS]

VIDEO FOOTAGE:

The Importance of Rear-facing Video (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8)
Crash test of a Forward-Facing child (http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/frontcrash/maxicosipriori.mpg)
Side camera Crash test of a Rear-Facing child (http://www.britax.fi/quicktime/TWside240.AVI)
Overhead view of a Rear-Facing child (http://www.britax.fi/quicktime/TWoh200.AVI)

LINKS:
Rear-Facing (http://www.childrestraintsafety.com/rear-facing.html)
Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2006 (http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm)
Is Your Baby Ready to Face Forward in the Car? (http://www.diaperpin.com/articles/article_CarSeat2.asp)
MSNBC: Toddlers Should Face the Rear Longer (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9916868)
Rear-Facing Car Seats: What You Need to Know, by Kathleen Weber (http://www.parentsplace.com/babies/safety/articles/0,10335,240282_263876,00.html)
Rear-Facing Seats (http://www.thecarseatlady.com/car_seats/rear-facing_seats.html)
Car Time - Stage 1: Safe Travel in a Rear-facing Infant Seat (http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/1234/stage1/menu.htm)
Rear-Facing Car Seat Rules - Why You Should Consider Extended Rear-Facing (http://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/qt/rear_facing.htm)
Child safety in cars - Literature review (http://localhost/downloads/R489A.pdf)
Booster Seats - Dr. E.R. Segedin April 2006 (http://localhost/downloads/Booster%20Seats%20-%20Dr._E.R._Segedin_April_2006.pdf)
SafetyBeltSafe Technical Information (http://www.carseat.org/Technical/tech_update.htm#rearfacFF) (Scroll down to the section on Rear-facing vs. forward-facing)
Safety For the Growing Child - Experiences From Swedish Accident Data (http://www.mvs.chalmers.se/%7Ejoda/Class_presentations/ESV%20paper%2005-0330.pdf)
Danger with children - The researchers' facts about children and car security (http://www.folksam.se/resurser/pdf/Folksam_Fara_br_forsk.pdf) (Swedish)
How Long Should Babies Ride Facing the Back of the Car? (http://www.carseat.org/Resources/633.pdf)
Why Rear-Facing is Safest (http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html)
Rear-Facing - Unmatched Safety (http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/StayRearFacing.aspx)

[KAK22]

That's an amazing set of links!

OP - I agree - I hate how everything says 1 year and 20 lbs. At least some magazines and places are starting to say to the limits of the seat.

[Carter's Mommy]

Thank you, thank you thank you! That's an amazing list of links! I haven't had time to look at them all yet, but I did forward the link to the video and one of the articles on to my mom. I'll be sending out the RF video to everyone I know. I had seen the video on using a 5-point harness before, but the RF video clip is new for me. Thanks again! I look forward to educating others!!!

[CRS]

You're welcome :)