rfing questions

[lil96]

Ok, so I am getting acquainted with the seats here (EU)and I always get the same thing about rfing seats "well what if the crash comes from behind? Is a rfing really any safer? rfing is only safer when the crash comes from the front. How can you guarnatee which direction the crash comes from..."

I have seen the videos and have come to believe rfing is the better choice, but most of the crash tests infos I have seen is for frontal crashes and occassionally side impact.

so is it really safer because the chance of frontal impact is higher than the chance of rear impact? does that makes sense?

[keri1292]

Rfing is safer in frontal and side impact crashes which account for 86% of all crashes. Only 14% are rear/rear offset. Odds are in favor of RFing. Also, most rear crashes aren't at significant speeds. More minor crashes because you're both traveling in the same direction or going slow in stop and go traffic.

Here's a great post and diagram courtesy of southpawboston...
http://car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=294715&postcount=12

[lil96]

it won't let me view that page :(
thanks for the info, now next time I'll shoot that back at them! lol

[keri1292]

http://www.safecarguide.com/img/angle468NEW.gif

Here's the pic. :)

[joolsplus3]

Adults walk away from rear crashes all the time...only to suffer the agony of whiplash and other neck and back problems for years, from their head flying backward, which is not a very natural movement. Kids who are RF will look forward and down which is a more normal movement (try it yourself... whip that head around, which seems worse? I know looking up hurts ME worse!). But also, the data are clear that RF is simply safer in ALL types of crashes...about 5 times safer overall, with no exceptions for rear crashes. RF tethering (or a seat with anti rebound capablility) is probably a good insurance against much heavier kids flying backward dramatically, which is why those high weight Swedish seats are all tethered.

:)

[lil96]

something else I just thought about is maybe the problem in Germany is bc someon of the highways have no speed limits and some of the bigger cars take advantage of that. so the scenario is a fiat car sees a mercedes barreling down behind him and can't get over fast enough and the mercedes slams into the back of them-more likely to happen than a frontal crash (although on the radio I hear all the time someone driving the wrong way down the highway).
Is that picture for world wide stats or USA stats?

I am not trying to argue or anything I just want to be able to say the right thing to these people when they tell me this

[joolsplus3]

People ignore speed limits here and rear-end people all the time, that is taken into account in the injury data. I'm sure Sweden and other Norwegian countries have plenty of rearenders, too. Rearfacing is still safest by a large margin in all crash types... (PM me your email address and I can send you the full study :))

[QuassEE]

If you're rear-ended at high speeds on the freeway, the impact itself isn't as great as if you're stopped and the person hits you at full speed. When both vehicles are traveling in the same direction at the time of impact, forces are lesser...if both vehicles are traveling opposite directions, forces are greater. It's basic Physics.

-Nicole.

[Adventuredad]

If you're rear-ended at high speeds on the freeway, the impact itself isn't as great as if you're stopped and the person hits you at full speed. When both vehicles are traveling in the same direction at the time of impact, forces are lesser...if both vehicles are traveling opposite directions, forces are greater. It's basic Physics.

-Nicole.

Very good point. In all the studies I've seen RF has been far safer in frontal and side crashes. Experts here usually say impacts from the rear with a rear facing child is at least as safe as forward facing. As mentioned, impacts from the rear are not as common but there is no disadvantage of having a child rfing.

If a huge truck or larger car at a high speed crashes into a car from behind chances are the car will be crushed and rf or not will be irrelevant. Fortunately, this is very rare.