Question RFing and crash protection (side/frontal...)

[rachel]

I'm sure the techs have been taught these facts but I'm wondering as a parent:

I've heard that children who are RFing are well protected during a side impact crash. Some of the higher end seats with SIP wings say it's better protection because it will keep the head, neck and spine in line better. After watching some you tube videos that encourage ERFing - they use statements such as that it only takes 1/4" of strain to possibly snap a child's spinal chord. (But I assume this is talking about a child who is FF in a frontal crash - not a child in a side impact and not Rfing???) During a side impact crash if a child is RFing couldn't keeping the head more stabilized during impact help minimize injuries to the neck or is the child already quite protected just because they are RFing (if so - how)?

I'm wanting to know the how and whys of all this because I actually really like the Radian XT I got for my baby girl but she is just barely too short for the SIP wings so I can't use them yet. We set her in a Blvd and it "hugs" her whole body and the wings are down around her head just fine.

So what I'm wanting to know is if there is a good explanation of how a child is protected in a rfing car seat (regardless of SIP wings) during a side impact crash. I sort of understand how it protects during a frontal (from watching youtube videos of crash dummies) but wasn't sure about side impact with RFing.

 

[Maedze]

Children in side impact crashes are significantly safer rear facing than forward facing. In fact, as South Paw Boston is so infernally fond of pointing out, the safety benefits gained in rearfacing in the now-famed 12-23 month study, found that the majority of rear facing children benefitted in SIDE IMPACT crashes, whereas the difference wasn't quite as significant in forward facing accidents.

Even in a side impact, the child's torso is still cradled by the shell of the seat, where as in a forward facing seat, the shell doesn't move as far as the kid will.

 

[rachel]

I found a good answer!!!!:
"Rear-facing seats also protect children better during side-impact crashes (the most deadly types of crashes). In a side-impact, everyone moves toward the impact. A forward-facing adult or child will pivot around their pelvis and turn to the side, leaving their head at risk for hitting the doorframe, window, other hard structures, etc. When a child is rear-facing in a car seat, the car seat itself does the pivoting, allowing the child's body to stay in a straight line. And since his head usually does not extend beyond the sides of the car seat, his head is better protected. " via "the car seat lady" - http://www.thecarseatlady.com/car_seats/rear-facing_seats_3.html

I think I may have found some more good links:

http://www.carseatsite.com/rf.htm

(Thought I'd share this for anyone asking the same question as me)

This one was good (good explanation of a young child's vs adults spine)
http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/4209/Car_Seat_Safety:_Rear-facing_is_safest.htm

And yet another (I'm "doing my homework" today :
http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

 

[Irishmama]

Children in side impact crashes are significantly safer rear facing than forward facing. In fact, as South Paw Boston is so infernally fond of pointing out, the safety benefits gained in rearfacing in the now-famed 12-23 month study, found that the majority of rear facing children benefitted in SIDE IMPACT crashes, whereas the difference wasn't quite as significant in forward facing accidents.

Do you mean a head on collision or a forward facing car seat?