Or, why you shouldn’t rush to turn your baby’s convertible car seat around on her first birthday.

In the USA, babies must ride rear-facing until they are one year old and weigh 20lbs.

For many moms, it’s another exciting milestone, a sign that baby is growing and becoming more independent. Now she can travel facing forwards like the other people in the car. People – parents, friends,even your pediatrician – may tell you to turn the car seat around once baby turns one. You might think she’ll prefer to travel forwards, and be less fussy on car journeys.

She might be less fussy, but it’s actually much, much less safe for a baby to ride facing forwards, than facing backwards.

The majority of car crashes involve a frontal impact. A baby facing forwards will have her head thrown forwards, while her body is restrained by the seat harness. In a serious crash, decapitation is even a possibility.

A baby facing backwards will fare much better. Her head and body will be pushed back into, and supported by the seat, and she’ll be much less likely to suffer head or neck injuries.

In the video above you can see just how violent a forward facing accident can be. The differences between the two accident types are shocking. The video has lots of other information about rear-facing and it’s great thing to forward to any family or friends who are nagging you to turn your babies carseat around.

The safest way for a baby or toddler to travel is rear-facing, in a correctly installed car seat.

Keep your baby rear-facing as long as possible – until they reach the height or weight limit of the seat.

• Australia allows babies to ride forward facing at just 6 months. The United Kingdom allows babies to ride forward facing at 9 months. Both these nations have higher rates of infant and toddler deaths in car crashes than the USA.
• Scandinavian parents in countries like Finland and Sweden keep their children rear-facing as long as possible – until age 3 or 4 is normal. These countries have the lowest rates of children being killed in car crashes in the world.

Road accidents are the largest cause of death for children in the USA. Keeping your toddler rear-facing as long as possible is one of the best things you can do to keep your child from joining those statistics.

• Find an car seat installation check location near you