Home » Rear-Facing Or Forward-Facing Car Seat? Which One Should You Buy?

Rear-Facing Or Forward-Facing Car Seat? Which One Should You Buy?

The federal criterion for manufacturing car seats differs from state to state in the US. Apart from the absolute usage of car seats or following the rules related to the car seat laws, there are many other ways to keep a child while going for a drive.

The law supports car seats with a valid federal certification. These certificates are provided after various tests. It is only possible to sell a car seat if it meets the national standards in the mass market.

According to state law, every car seat imported from other countries is strictly banned from using during rides in the country. The car seat manufacturers fairly guide parents to protect the babies and toddlers in the car.

As per the research, the safety seats in the car have regulated accident injuries among infants by about 70% and 50% harm reduction in toddlers.

Forward Facing Safety Car Seats

Src: safewise.com
  • Once the child grows five years old, the parents feel it’s ideal to buy a forward-facing car seat while going for a long drive or a road trip.
  • The grown-up children will not fit in the rear-facing safety seats as their total body mass requires extra care and harness that would buckle them firmly to the seats.
  • The forward-facing seats have some weight restrictions that need to be followed by each responsible parent.
  • The weight limitations are mentioned in the seat manual, which necessarily guides the parents

Rear Facing Safety Seats

Src: nytimes.com
  • A significant reason behind the death of children in the USA is motor vehicle accidents.
  • A rear-facing car safety seat ensures the protection of children until they are four years old. The infants and toddlers should be under the rear-facing safety seat belts until they exceed the weight limit of the seats.
  • Consumers must follow the car seat manual to understand the weight limitations of the particular product clearly.
  • A front seat is a forbidden area for the rear-facing safety car seats because the airbags may kill the child if any accident happens.

Related State Laws

Src: worldatlas.com

Car seat laws are applicable according to state law. Every state does have a list of car seat regulations. Get familiar with and follow the state law rules valid where one resides. Do research on car seat law restrictions followed by the state which is in the plan to visit.Let’s check some of the car safety seat laws applicable in some famous states of the US.

  • Alabama state law (updated 2020) says a child within six years should be strictly restricted under an authentic certified safety seat. Children must ride in rear-facing seats until they are one year old and within 20 pounds. Forward-facing seating is allowed only for kids under five years old.
  • The state law of New York suggests that children under two years old must precisely be buckled in the rear-facing system. Children must be riding in fastened booster seats till they are grown up to 8 years old. A child must stay safe in the booster seating system till 100 lbs.
  • New Mexican state law states that all children under 18 years old must be safely seated in the car in booster seating format according to their age or fasten the seat belt properly during a ride. A rear-facing seating arrangement is a must for children under the age of one. New Mexican law rigidly restrains the lap-sit belt. As per the law, a child must be fastened correctly towards the vehicle seats.
  • The law of Texas states that children under the age of eight should ride in an appropriate seat belt unless they are 4′ 9″. Children under 17 years old must fasten their seat belts while driving.
  • Washington laws (updated 2020) strictly ban children less than eight years without booster seats in cars while the vehicle is moving. Babies under one year old and weighing under 20 pounds.

How To Differentiate Safety Car Seats

Src: parenting.com

Parents must educate themselves about the safety measures to be followed while riding with their children. Every year thousands of children are killed or injured in road accidents because of faulty seating setups.

Safety seating methods are different according to the purpose they fulfill. The safety seats are selected according to the age and size of the child.

There are two primary safety seating systems in a vehicle. The rear-facing seats are meant for infants and toddlers under two years old. In particular, rear-facing is for infants, and rear-facing convertible is intended for toddlers.

The infants are supposed to ride in a rear-facing seat till they reach the maximum height and weight limit according to the safety measures. Rear-facing-convertible seats limit the child above two from riding in a vehicle rear-facing.

Children who have outgrown the rear-facing seats must be shifted to forward-facing, following the federal norms by each state. Forward-facing seating formatting is decided based on the child’s age, size, and weight. The overweight or obese child is supposed to be seated in a forward-facing harness seat for extra grip and security.

The school-aged children do not have to presume the forward-facing technique but must be shifted to certified booster seats per the age groups. Forward-facing centers do have weight limitations, as mentioned before.

So once the child exceeds that weight limit, parents must move the child to booster seats accordingly.Older children have no booster or safety seat limitations, but as per the state’s laws, they must fasten their seat belts while driving.

Safety seats are installed either by the car’s seat belt or LATCH  with the main one. LATCH is an attachment for the safety system of seating. LATCH is very safe similar to the waistband of the vehicle’s seats.

To Conclude

Safety and booster seats are highly demanded precautions against the injuries and harm caused by vehicle accidents. To keep the children safe, every parent should follow the state rule and install security seats as needed. Thousands of children lost their organs and even life because parents ignored the protection cautions that needed to be followed. When an accident occurs, the damage caused is enormous compared to injuries obtained by the child fastened to a safety belt.