What happens to a RFer when youre rear ended?

soph's mom

New member
I'm not asking this for an argument or anything and I just bought a radian to keep my 2 year old rf but I've been wondering... I know most crashes statistically are front impact but a whole lot of people are rear ended... How do rfing kids fair in these crashes?
 
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_juune

New member
Main difference is that in frontal crash a car that is moving forward comes to a very sudden and abrupt stop [and is then thrown backwards], while in a rear-end collision a car that is already moving forward is thrown forward. The latter case usually translates to less severe forces on the occupants [unless it's very high speed]. Sure, one can reverse into a wall or another car, but reverse speed is usually quite low.
 

soph's mom

New member
Wow! That's a good example! Honestly if he had been ff he wouldn't have ha a chance in this one not just bc of forces on his neck but bc of the top of the van coming down on him... Thank goodness they were all ok including number 4 and Mom!
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
Infants are rear-facing from the time they're a day or 2 old. Rear-end collisions are the most common type of collision. Therefore, one would assume that there have been a good number of rear-facing babies (not 2yos, but tiny fragile babies) that have been involved in rear-end collisions over the last 30 years. I'm pretty sure the CPS community would know about it if these were resulting in serious injuries.
 

soph's mom

New member
_juune said:
Main difference is that in frontal crash a car that is moving forward comes to a very sudden and abrupt stop [and is then thrown backwards], while in a rear-end collision a car that is already moving forward is thrown forward. The latter case usually translates to less severe forces on the occupants [unless it's very high speed]. Sure, one can reverse into a wall or another car, but reverse speed is usually quite low.

I didn't see your response when I responded to the first. This makes good sense. Thanks!
 

soph's mom

New member
Keeanh said:
Infants are rear-facing from the time they're a day or 2 old. Rear-end collisions are the most common type of collision. Therefore, one would assume that there have been a good number of rear-facing babies (not 2yos, but tiny fragile babies) that have been involved in rear-end collisions over the last 30 years. I'm pretty sure the CPS community would know about it if these were resulting in serious injuries.

I'm not sure how to take your response. I wasn't starting an argument. According to statistics frontal impact is the most common crash btw. You didn't answer my question at all...
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
I'm not sure how to take your response. I wasn't starting an argument. According to statistics frontal impact is the most common crash btw. You didn't answer my question at all...

I'm not sure how I was arguing, or how I didn't help you :confused::confused:

I was going by this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidem...isions#Proportion_of_deaths_by_type_of_impact (the part about total # collisions, not the fatality part -- rear-enders is at the top of the list with nearly 30%)

And my point was that rear-facers must fare well in rear-end collisions or we would be hearing about it, since rear-end collisions are common and we keep our most injury-prone passengers rear-facing.
 

soph's mom

New member
Well I guess statistics say different things. I'm sorry if I mistook your message but I was looking for answers more along the lines of the first two whereas your message came across as "they said so and you shouldn't question it." Sometimes tones and points come across totally differently in text than they would in person though.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Keeanh said:
And my point was that rear-facers must fare well in rear-end collisions or we would be hearing about it, since rear-end collisions are common and we keep our most injury-prone passengers rear-facing.

I'm not sure that logic entirely works. Rear-end crashes are the most common, but they're also usually the mildest (think a little fender-bender at a red light). So we "don't hear about it" because there's nothing to hear about because they're typically not severe in the first place.

I'm not saying that rear-facing in a rear impact ISN'T safe, just saying that logic doesn't quite follow.

Someone asked this same question a few weeks back and safeinthecar had a fantastic response that I can't remember. I've PMed her, though, so hopefully she'll chime in.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I found it! Hopefully she doesn't mind my quoting it:

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.
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
I'm not sure that logic entirely works. Rear-end crashes are the most common, but they're also usually the mildest (think a little fender-bender at a red light). So we "don't hear about it" because there's nothing to hear about because they're typically not severe in the first place.

That was kinda the point I was trying to make. I was adding to the above post about them being less severe by pointing out that real-world experience backs up the physics.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Keeanh said:
That was kinda the point I was trying to make. I was adding to the above post about them being less severe by pointing out that real-world experience backs up the physics.

My point, though, was that a RF child in the rear-ended car is likely to be fine, just like the FF child in the car doing the rear-ending is likely to be fine. But that's because the crash is at a VERY low speed and low impact. In that case, direction isn't going to matter much.

I THINK the OP (and others who typically have this concern) is wondering about what happens in more severe crashes where injuries are likely. In a severe rear-impact, would the child be better off forward-facing?

I would answer that even IF the child were better off forward-facing in that instance, it's best to protect against the more likely severe scenario, which is a side- or front-impact. Plus, rear-facing might indeed provide benefits even in a severe rear-impact, as Kimberly noted.
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
Well, first of all, for every car that is rear ended, you have another car that is doing the rear ending. The rear ending car is having a FRONTAL crash, so at best the numbers would be equal.

Being rear ended while rear facing is also not the same as a frontal crash forward facing. In a frontal crash, there is momentum, so the child moves forward into the harness and the harness is pulling them back. When you are rear ended with a rear facing car seat, the vehicle and car seat are actually getting pushed out from under the child and the harness is pulling the child along against inertia. Most of the time, the car is still moving forward, and the crash rolls the car forward so there is actually some forward momentum and the child is already being pushed back into the seat and doesn't need as much of a come-along pull. Then you have the rebound of the rfing seat (even a tethered or other rebound controlled seat rebounds, just, with more control) which keeps the seat moving with the child and the end result is much less force than a frontal ffing crash.
 

agave

New member
Last year I was rear ended with 2 kids RF they where 18 months and 2 days shy of 3. I was stopped in traffic in an xB when a F250 with a cattle guard rear ended me. He went over the bumper and smashed the back door and filled my cargo area with glass. Other than my oldest being scared and upset about the car being broken the kids where just fine. I had whiplash and I suspect a minor concussion I also had shooting pains in my left arm.
 

jacqui276

New member
All of the info and links that you guys have provided are great.

I was in an accident earlier this year where we were stopped and rear ended by someone going about 80km/hr (50mph). Both DH and I had concussions and whiplash and my entire body was sore. DS was 2 months old and RFing in the back and was absolutely unharmed. He got startled and cried briefly but was totally fine.
 

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