RF is 500% safer than what?

abigaylebelle

Active member
I was talking to a friend whose baby is 12 months about keeping her rear facing. When we say that rf is 500% safer than ff, what exactly does that mean?

Has anyone read the Injury Prevention article from 2007 or so that came to this conclusion? It required a subscription when I tried to find it...
 
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abigaylebelle

Active member
Hi there. Hopefully has access to the article: http://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b1994#REF8

The 500% came from "5 times safer" for children between 12 and 23 months who rear face. There is a dispute on whether the study refers to 5 times safer in all collisions or just in side impact crashes.

Here are two noteworthy posts concerning this same topic: http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=951869&postcount=12

and

http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=951996&postcount=16

Thank you kindly. That is very helpful.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
This is a primary source... http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/con...89fb6045cd27d217effe2987&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha I notice that in those other links, the link to one is a commentary to physicians on how to speak with parents, which uses the simple 5 times safer language, but doesn't really break it down and show the safer in side impacts, not statistically significantly safer in front impacts.

It would be interesting for them to repeat this study soon, since curtain airbags have been mandatory since 2008, and the vehicle fleet is beginning to turn over to those newer cars. As far as we know, side curtain airbags are helpful to children in seats, but a large scale study would be interesting to see if kids still need to be RF so long now that vehicles are safer. For the time being, I'm going to keep preaching RF as long as possible, of course :)
 

bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
The 500% safer refers to the statistic from the study showing that children ages 12-23 months are 5 times safer RF than FF in all impacts, including frontal and side. There was another stat from the study showing that children 0-23 months are 5 times safer in side impacts.
 

abigaylebelle

Active member
The 500% safer refers to the statistic from the study showing that children ages 12-23 months are 5 times safer RF than FF in all impacts, including frontal and side. There was another stat from the study showing that children 0-23 months are 5 times safer in side impacts.

Is this a different study? Link?
 

bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
Is this a different study? Link?
It's that same study linked above. From the Results section in the link from joolplus3 above: "In side crashes, however, children in FFCSs were much more likely to be injured (OR = 5.53, 95% CI 3.74 to 8.18 ). When 1 year olds were analyzed separately, these children were also more likely to be seriously injured when restrained in FFCSs (OR = 5.32, 95% CI 3.43 to 8.24). " The OR=5.53 is for all children considered in the study (0-23 months old). It's referring to side crashes. The OR=5.32 is for children 12-23 months old and is referring to all crashes. Those are the "5 times" figures. When the authors of the study talk about the 5 times figure, they are specifically referring to the 5.32 figure, for 12-23 month olds, for all crashes, including side and front. :)
 
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joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
"Conclusions: RFCSs are more effective than FFCSs in protecting restrained children aged 0–23 months. The same findings apply when 1 year olds are analyzed separately."

It's this that muddies the waters, makes it really seem like the 12-23mos have the same 5 times safer in the side impact, not statistically significant in the front impact.
 

bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
"Conclusions: RFCSs are more effective than FFCSs in protecting restrained children aged 0–23 months. The same findings apply when 1 year olds are analyzed separately."

It's this that muddies the waters, makes it really seem like the 12-23mos have the same 5 times safer in the side impact, not statistically significant in the front impact.

The 12-23 months old have both. They have 5.53 times safer in side impacts when they are included in the 0-23 month olds. When they are analyzed separately, they have 5.32 in all crashes, including side, frontal, and rear. :)
 

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