What would happen

[natalie77]

If you had a child RF and are stopped and someone hits you from the rear, is that the same as being hit head on if they are FF? A friend had a wreck, got rear ended at about 35-40 mph and people are giving me heck about having Eli RF at almost 3 (in 2 weeks) saying that would be horrible for him. So help me!!!

 

[babyherder]

From what I understand most crashes are from the front or have a frontal component. So we rear face kids because that best protects them from the majority of crashes. Also, if your car is hit from the rear it is pushed in the same direction it was moving in to begin with. So its still not as bad as when the car is hit from the front and the kid is ff. Tell your friends you appreciate their concern. If they'll listen, tell them why rf is still safer. If they won't, ignore them.

 

[Mae]

Technically, in order to replicate a frontal crash (with a rear facing kiddo), you would have to be driving in reverse and back into somebody who is traveling towards you. Being hit from behind (while you are at a stop with a RF kiddo) is the same as being hit from the front (while you are at a stop with a FF kiddo).

However, the previous poster is correct -- rear-end collisions only make up about 4% of all total crashes. You are still keeping your children safe from the most common crashes -- frontal and side impacts.

Obviously, you cannot keep your child safe in every circumstance, but based on those facts you would try to keep them safe in the most common occurance, which is frontal/side impacts.

 

[pepsicola]

Wouldn't a rear facing seat rebound into the vehicle seat in a rear end collision? Then wouldn't it also reduce the crash forces on the child and extend the ride down time?

 

[mommy-medic]

As another poster said, in order for a rear-end collission to have the same dynamics as a FFing child in a frontal collission, you would have to be traveling in reverse at normal frontal travel speeds. How often do you drive in reverse at 35, 45, 55+ mph?

Chances are that if you get rear ended, you are either stopped or traveling forward. The dynamics just aren't the same.

Here is something that I find to be VERY helpful- it happened to them! I can't say if she had it tethered RFing at the time of the accident, but if you look at the second pic of the baby in her car seat, you can see the top tether is still wound up and rubber-banded together like it comes when purchased. It's hard to tell from the crash pics where the seat has been moved, but to me it does appear to still be wound up as if it weren't in use.
http://myangelsaliandpeanut.tripod.com/id5.html

Remember- you don't have to convince anyone else on your decision. YOU are the mother, and they can either learn WHY you have made the educated decision to RF your lo, or they can be told that you've done your research and made your decision as the mother.

 

[Pixels]

The dynamics of a FFing crash cannot be duplicated with a RFing child, because of the differences in installation. Different belt paths, tether or not, the recline of the seat all add up.

It is true that a child in a rear end collision is at higher risk RFing than if they were FFing. It is also true that a child in a rear end collision is at higher risk in the back seat than in the front seat. The day you know you'll be rear ended, put your baby FFing in the front seat. In reality, we don't get to pick our collision. Rear end collisions are statistially rare, and lower energy than forward or side impacts. Rear end collisions are the least likely to cause serious injury or death. Frontal and side impacts are more common and more dangerous, so protect your children from the biggest, most likely threat.