RF vs FF question

kkcoconut

New member
In the videos I watch it seems like they are showing frontal crashes only. If you get rear ended wouldn't the body of a rear facing child get thrown around like a forward facing child in a frontal crash? I've been in 2 car accidents in the past 2 years and both I got rear ended. My dad asked me about that and I didn't have an answer for him. DS is 20 months and I plan to RF till he reaches the limits.
 
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safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
Yes and no. Technically, the forces on a rfing child in a rear end crash are the same as a forward facing child in a frontal crash. The differences are 1: rear end crashes are almost always much less severe than frontal crashes. Both cars are moving the same direction, which limits the forces, and there is usually a lot of breaking involved. (since people usually rear end someone because they misjudged stopping distance or speed, or reacted just a little late.)

Also take note, although YOU were rear ended twice, the people that hit you had a frontal crash. At least one car in every crash had a frontal, except those rare two cars backing into each other in the parking lot incidences.

2: Another difference for children,, is that a rear facing carseat being rear ended is installed MUCH differently than a forward facing carseat. the belt path is low and forward in the seat and allows for rotation toward the back window, so the seat moves with the child and doesn't pull back on the shoulders in the same way.

3: Finally, the crumple zones at the rear of cars are much more efficient at managing energy than the front of cars. The front of a car has to be rigid enough to keep the engine from landing in the passenger compartment. The back end has more flex and absorbs more energy.
 

kkcoconut

New member
Yes and no. Technically, the forces on a rfing child in a rear end crash are the same as a forward facing child in a frontal crash. The differences are 1: rear end crashes are almost always much less severe than frontal crashes. Both cars are moving the same direction, which limits the forces, and there is usually a lot of breaking involved. (since people usually rear end someone because they misjudged stopping distance or speed, or reacted just a little late.)

Also take note, although YOU were rear ended twice, the people that hit you had a frontal crash. At least one car in every crash had a frontal, except those rare two cars backing into each other in the parking lot incidences.

2: Another difference for children,, is that a rear facing carseat being rear ended is installed MUCH differently than a forward facing carseat. the belt path is low and forward in the seat and allows for rotation toward the back window, so the seat moves with the child and doesn't pull back on the shoulders in the same way.

3: Finally, the crumple zones at the rear of cars are much more efficient at managing energy than the front of cars. The front of a car has to be rigid enough to keep the engine from landing in the passenger compartment. The back end has more flex and absorbs more energy.

Thank you! That helps a lot! What about side impact crashes? Will the child get thrown around the same FFing vs RFing?
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Rear-facing provides better protection in side-impacts, too. The vast majority of side-impacts involve forward motion, also (you're much more likely to be t-boned going through an intersection than while at a dead stop). So in that case, the child is still cradled within the seat rather than being thrown forward out of it.
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
Rear-facing provides better protection in side-impacts, too. The vast majority of side-impacts involve forward motion, also (you're much more likely to be t-boned going through an intersection than while at a dead stop). So in that case, the child is still cradled within the seat rather than being thrown forward out of it.

Right. The car is moving forward when it gets hit on the side, so everything in the car gets thrown diagonally. Better to have the child go diagonally into the corner if the rear facing shell, than diagonally into open air.
 

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