Britax Max-Fix installation and pre-orders
Max-Fix was first shown during the Kind & Jugend convention in Cologne in September 2012. We have seen lots of interest from parents for the seat and have now placed Britax MaxFix in our store for pre-orders (Britax Max-Fix pre-orders here). Fore more details of the seat please check the installation video below.
The last rear facing Isofix seat from Britax was Britax Fix-Way quite a few years back. While the seat was safe it was not up to the normal high Britax standard and not a success. Looking at the new Britax Max-Fix it sure looks like it will be a very popular rear facing seat.
Max-Fix is basically an Isofix version of the very popular Britax Max-Way seat. Max-Way is approved 9-25 kg (20-55 lbs) while MaxFix is approved 0-18 kg (0-40 lbs). The seat will provide comfortable rear facing from birth to around age 5.
Max-Fix is installed in seconds with Isofix and a support leg. It has adjustable recline/sleep position which can be adjusted in seven different positions by twisting a small wheel. Position can easily be changed with a child in the seat while driving.
Max-Fix has just like Max-Way a built in head support with an integrated harness. Harness will move up and down with the head support and always be in correct position. There is a foam support for newborns and young children. This is removed as children grow. Fabric is washable and easily removed.
A huge advantage of the seat is the brilliant recline and sleep position. This is far better than other Isofix seats. Construction was apparently done in-house by Britax engineers. Well done!
New rear facing car seats
During the recent Kind & Jugend convention in Cologne, Germany, some new rear facing seats were announced. For us who work closely with manufacturers and provide lots of feedback to improve products the seats were not new but some offered an interesting first look at functionality.
The new MaxFix is a very nice rear facing Isofix seat for children 0-18 kg. It's basically an Isofix version of the very popular Max-Way seat. Seat shell is the same as Max-Way with a seat shell in a new lighter color which will also be implemented for other seats.
MaxFix is used 0-18 kg rear facing. It offers ultra fast installation with Isofix with great recline and sleep position. The recline function has been developed in house by the skilled Britax engineers and works nicely. Angle is changed by turning a small wheel, a smart and simple solution.
MaxFix does just like Max-Way offer a built in head support and an integrated harness. Isofix seats are in general heavy, MaxFix will be 20% lighter than current competitors which is a nice change. Britax does a great job in keeping fabric free of toxins and the 2013 line is no exception. Colors available at launch will be “Black Thunder” and “Stone Grey”. MaxFix will arrive in January 2013 and will be available for pre-orders at CarSeat.se in December 2012.
Maxi Cosi:
Sweden has won the battle regarding rear facing:-) This was clear at the giant and beautiful Maxi Cosi area. A huge stand with large LCD displays and lots of information talked about the importance of rear facing until at least age two. Nicely done by Maxi Cosi. While rear facing to age two would be a huge step backwards for Sweden, where rear facing to age four is the norm, it's a giant step forward for the rest of Europe (and rest of the world)
Maxi Cosi was showing off their 2Way model which will comply with the new European i-Size standard coming in 2013-2014. The Isofix seat can be used rear facing from birth to around age two and then used forward facing to age four. A nice addition for Europe where early forward facing is the norm but way too short rear facing time for Sweden. This seat is similar to the new and stylish Cybex Sirona which offer similar short rear facing time and then forward facing with a shield function.
The new Maxi Cosi 2Way model will arrive in late 2013.
Axkid:
Axkid showed off a nice new seat called Mini. Name is perhaps a bit misleading since space required for the new seat is small but rear facing time is long at 5+ years. The new seat is basically a simplified version of the current Kidzone model.
The current Kidzone has a base and can be used rear and forward facing 9-25 kg. The new Mini model is used rear facing 9-25 kg. Base from the Kidzone model is gone so bottom of the Mini is very narrow. Angle is changed with a metal bar under the seat which works nicely. Very similar in function to Britax Max-Way and Hi-Way.
Mini will offer the same great automatic adjustment of harness/head support as in the current Kidzone model. A nice improvement is a new locking mechanism which can be used for those who prefer to adjust head support manually.
The new Mini is a basically a competitor to Britax Max-Way offering about as long rear facing time and similar easy installation. Mini will be available in Janurary 2013.
Klippan:
The Finnish brothers showed off their Triofix model and also the new Dinofix infant seat. Triofix was shown at last years convention and arrived early this year. The seat is is used 9-36 kg, can be used rear and forward facing and installed with Isofix or seat belt. It's quite a unique seat, changing direction from rear to forward facing is done ery quickly and easily. Installation is done in seconds and the seat is the most compact rear facing seat on the market. It's a favorite among parents with small cars. A popular Isofix choice together with Klippans Duologic 2/Kiss 2 model.
The new Dinofix is a classic infant seat. The Isofix base used with Triofix can also be used with Dinofix which make things a lot easier and cheaper for parents.
The Kind & Jugend convention was as always a nice place to meet manufacturers and discuss new seats. Very nice to see the increased focus on rear facing seats in Europe!:-)
Britax Max-Way saves a life
Accidents are scary and we are always glad to hear about children being pulled out of the car without a scratch. Fortunately this happens virtually every time with children in the Swedish rear facing seats since serious injuries or fatalities are almost impossible. How do we know this? In Sweden we have been keeping children rear facing since 1965 and learned much.
We have learned that it's almost impossible for a child in a Swedish rear facing seat to become seriously injured or die regardless of circumstances.
Todays crash report comes out of Finland. A one year old boy was involved in a serious crash with a rollover. Not only was he pulled out of the crash without a scratch, he was actually laughing!
Below is the crash report from the mother translated in English and below the original in Swedish:
My husband yesterday skidded with our car at a speed of 60-70 km/h (38-45 mph), spun around and hit the front wheels in the snow which led to the car flying through the air landing on drivers side at a ditch on the side of the road.
Our one year old son made it without a scratch, he even sat there laughing when my husband looked at him after the accident. He was then "hanging" in his seat. Good seat and a guardian angle for our son:-)
*
Maken fick igår sladd med bilen (hastighet ca 60-70 km/h) , snurrade runt och slog i framhjulet i snökarmen, vilket ledde till att bilen flög upp i luften och landade sedan på förarsidan nere i dikesbottnen. 1-åriga sonen klarade sig helt utan minsta skråma, han satt t.o.m. och skrattade när maken tittade på honom strax efter smällen, och han bara "hängde" där i sin stol 
Bra stol och änglavakt!
Britax Max-Way is a new great seat which is an improvement on the popular Hi-Way model. It's compact, light weight and does easy rear facing until around age 5. It's been on the market for a month and has been incredibly popular.
From 45+ years of rear facing experience in Sweden we know that long rear facing time is important. Type of Swedish rear facing seat is of less importance. That means this child fortunately also would have done great in another Swedish rear facing seat.
We know it's almost impossible for a child to die or become seriously injured while riding in a Swedish rear facing car seat. We can unfortunately not guarantee that your child will actually be laughing after the accident:-)
Installing a Swedish rear facing car seat
Each month we receive thousands of emails from parents around the world. The other day we received a question regarding installation which is often asked. It's one of the many myths regarding Swedish rear facing car seats. Heike from Germany writes:
Hallo Hakan,
We live in Germany and would like to buy a rear facing car seat, a reboarder. We have spoken to some baby stores and seen some tests. Many say the seats are difficult to place in the car. We drive a 2009 VW Golf, can you tell us if installation is difficult?
Mfg/Heike aus Germany
Many organizations, magazines and papers write that rear facing seats are “difficult or almost impossible to install”. An expert is required and it's nothing a normal parent can do. Is this true?
We decided to show a complete installation of a normal rear facing car seat in real life conditions. We installed a seat on the street outside our store a typical Swedish winter day. It was 3 pm in the afternoon, light snow and a temperature of -1 degrees C (30 Fahrenheit). At this time in winter it's also dark which is why the video is not of great quality.
So we had darkness, side walk installation, snow and cold weather. Since the Swedish rear facing seats are “almost impossible to install” this must have taken a long time. How long? 5 hours? 2 hours? Maybe just an hour? As short as 30 minutes? Shorter?
This complete installation with seat belt, under worst conditions possible, took 2 minutes. What do we see in the short video? Installation of a Britax Hi-Way. Installation will also be exactly the same with Britax Max-Way, Multi Tech or pretty much any other Swedish rear facing seat.
- We slide front seat forward to attach tether straps. This car has small tether loops which are found in some Swedish cars. We are NOT using these and instead attach straps to seat rail of the car. This can be done in almost any car regardles of nationality.
- We place car seat on the seat, remove fabric slightly, slide seat belt through the seat and buckle the seat belt.
- Then we attach tether straps to the car seat, make sure support leg is in a good position and tighten straps
- We move front seat backwards.
- Done!!
As you can see, installing a Swedish rear facing seat is fast and not difficult. Even when done during a cold and dark Swedish winter day:-)
New Swedish rear facing car seats
New Swedish rear facing seats are always interesting. We have three new and great seats which just arrived or are coming shortly. During the recent large German baby convention "Kind und Jugend" two new seats arrived and just previously another new brand entered the market. Below is a short summary of the new seats with a more thorough write-up coming shortly.
Klippan Triofix: The new Triofix is definately a unique seat with long usage and very fast installation. It can be used 9-36 kg (20-80 lbs. The seat was added during the baby convention and just arrived at CarSeat.se.
The brand Klippan is not well known among customers but has been around longer than most. They released the first rear facing car seat in 1965(!) and have kept children safe in cars since then. Klippan is owned by the two Finish brothers Leo and Bror Martin who have worked with car seats and safety equipment "forever":-)
They produce harnesses themselves and have the only crash test facility in Finalnd where seats are tested, improved and certified. Consumers may not know of the brand Klippan but many do know about the rear facing Duologic seat which was created and is manufactured by Klippan but branded as Akta/Graco.
Triofix has some very unique features:
- Seat and base are two separate units
- Installation can be done with Isofix or seat belt
- Triofix is the most compact rear facing seat available
- Changing from rear facing to forward facing position is done in seconds. The base works both with rear and forward facing use, no need to buy additional components
- Installation is ultra fast and easy
- Separate base can be purchased for use in two cars.
Using Triofix is just so easy. The base is installed in a few seconds, regardless if it's with Isofix or seat belt, and the seat then clicks into the base. Changing direction from rear to forward facing can be time consuming with some seats but not with Triofix. Release the seat from the base, turn it around and click into the base. Smart and easy construction. Done in a few seconds.
Triofix will last rear facing to around 125 cm of height (51 inches) which is as long as Britax Multi Tech and Britax Two-Way. Triofix is currently the most compact rear facing seat available which combined with the smart solutions and long usage makes it a very interesting seat. During the fall an infant seat will also be released which fits the same Isofix base as Triofix.
Triofix has just been released on the market and can be found in the online store of CarSeat.se
Axkid Kidzofix/Kidzone: During the fall the new Swedish brand Axkid entered the rear facing car seat market. Axkid is a new brand but the people behind it are well known. Tony Qvist and Tony Broberg have been working with car seats for a very long time and decided to create some seats with new fresh ideas.
Axkid created two new rear facing seats, Kidzofix and Kidzone, and also an infant seat and a booster seat. Kidzofix and Kidzone are almost identical seats and can be used rear and forward facing until 25 kg (55 lbs). The only difference between the two is that Kidzofix can be installed both with Isofix and seat belt while Kidzone only allow seat belt installation. Both seats can be used rear facing 9-25 kg (20-55 lbs), forward facing with harness to 18 kg (40 lbs) and forward facing with seat belt to 25 kg. Kidzofix can also be used rear facing with Isofix 9-18 kg.
Seat shell is quite high which means rear facing use to around five years of age or a height of 115-120 cm. Head support is large and integrated with the harness. A new and smart solution is that harness and head support adjust automatically. Release harness and it automatically goes to the highest level. Place child in seat, buckle harness and then tighten harness. Head support will automatically stop in the correct position.
Kidzofix also have built in tether straps with ALR belts which adjust in seconds. Attach tether straps and wiggle car seat back and forth a couple of times and installation is rock solid. Smart and easy solution.
Kidzofix and Kidzone are off to a good start in the fall and have been popular among parents. They can both be found in our online store of CarSeat.se
Britax Max-Way: Britax Hi-Way has been a bestseller for quite a few years thanks to being light weight, compact and comfortable. It has always offered a great combination of quite long rear facing time with a 25 kg (55 lbs) rear facing limit but with a compact size fitting well in small to large cars.
The new model of Hi-Way is called Max-Way and has some nice improvements. Adjusting angle has been made easier with new construction of the metal bar underneath the seat. Seat shell is similar to previous model but it's been simplified on the outside to make production easier.
Seat shell is still nicely curved and provides good support. The most significant improvement is the built in head support which makes seat shell taller. Hi-Way would usually last until age 4-4.5 years or 110 cm of height while the new MaxWay will last to age 5 or about 115-120 cm of height.
Head support is of medium size and fits nicely with the seat. Size of Max-Way is the same as Hi-Way which makes the new Max-Way a compact seat which will last rear facing a long time.
Max-Way will arrive in January 2012 and will soon be available for pre-order in the online store of CarSeat.se
Swedish rear facing seat saves a 2-year old life
Accidents are terrible but sometimes unavoidable. Anne in Phoenix was in a horrible accident where her car got completely destroyed. The only uninjured person was her two year old sitting in a Swedish rear facing Brio Zento. Read her story below:
On our way to Phoenix, just a few miles away, my husband (driving our 2002 Odyssey) hit an obstacle in the road. We don't know what it is, but we all felt the bump, then were airborne, and onto a gravel shoulder. We skidded on the gravel. The van hit a barrier (right at the rear driver's side, where my 4 year old daughter was seated.) It then flipped across the highway. My husband was braking the whole way. (He had just had the tires rotated and pressure checked, and the brakes replaced.) It slowed us considerably. We went into a ditch at an angle and became airborne. We went down on the passenger side of the vehicle, nose first, and then flipped over upside down.
My daughters (the 4 year old, almost 5, and her 2 sisters, 6 almost 7 and 2 almost 3) were screaming. This meant they were alive and I was glad. My husband and I were suspended by our (properly worn) seatbelts. I had significant neck pain. My husband was able to exit the vehicle fairly easily, but I was trapped; I had to be extracted with the Jaws of Life (after fending off a bystander who wanted to cut my belt with a pen knife and pull me out, yelling at him, "Do not cut my seatbelt! Wait until the EMTs arrive to hold c-spine! If you want to do something, get me a jacket and treat me for shock!")
My 4 and 6 year olds were harnessed properly in properly installed and used, tethered seats. (The 6 year old is usually boostered, but because it was a late night trip I didn't want to risk her falling asleep and falling out of position.) My 2 year old was rear-facing. The heavy cargo in the van was all packed tightly down in the bottom of the trunk, compartmentalized behind and under the seat as much as possible before we left. My husband and I had our seatbelts and headrests properly fastened and adjusted and were seated in proper position.
My husband has a mild lung contusion and abrasions from his seatbelt and "road burn." I have a lot of stitches in my arm (which dragged along the ground outside the car– the trauma surgeon says that the braking slowed us enough to save me from having it ripped off) and on my face and bruising all over. My 6 year old has minor abrasions (more road burn) and bruises. My 4 year old, with the most severe injuries, suffered a severe cut to her foot (aptly and completely repaired by great surgeons) and a broken leg (remember, she was AT the first point of impact, a side impact.) My 2 year old, who was in the rear-facing seat, was completely unharmed. Not a mark on her. Nothing. Despite the fact that we landed on the side of the car she was on (she was behind me, I was in the second row passenger seat, and the forward-facers were second and third row driver's side.)
Anne's story is good example of just how safe rear facing is. As many know we have been keeping children rear facing in Sweden since 1965. Our strong recommendations is to keep children rear facing until age 4 or longer. Why?
Our real life experiences with rear facing show one thing very clear. It's almost impossible for a rear facing child to die or become seriously injured in a traffic accident regardless of circumstances.
Thanks to Anne for the photos, story and all her hard work in helping others with car seat safety. We hope everyone recover well.
US changing rear facing recommendations
Rear facing recommendations in US were changed on Monday this week which has been covered extensively in the news. The new recommendation is a good step forward and will help to keep children far safer.
The old recommendation advised parents to keep children rear facing to at least 1 year of age and a weight of 20 lbs. This lead to most parents believing it was best to turn around forward facing at that time. The new recommendation advise parents to keep children rear facing to at least two years of age:
In a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online March 21), the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
There are many people who have worked hard for a number of years to talk about the huge rear facing benefits . Parents, blogs, forums, and sites informing public about rear facing have all played an important role.
I would like to focus on one person who has likely done far more than anyone to push forward with this new policy. His name is Jim Peralta but we call him Grandpa Jim. He is a great rear facing ambassador but the way he got started is tragic. Lets go back a couple of years.
In 2008 Jim contacted CarSeat.se and wanted to purchase a Swedish rear facing seat for his grandson Joel. Jim was upset, or rather outraged, that his grandson had just broken his neck in a car accident. He was thankfully not upset at us at CarSeat.se:-)
Joel was a happy and strong 18 month old and 35 lbs child who was sitting forward facing in the back seat of his parents car. Since the recommendation was forward facing until at least 1 year and 20 lbs they believed Joel was very safe. They were after all following the recommendations of NHTSA and AAP.
On August 30th 2008 Joel was involved in a frontal collision at moderate speed and tragically broke his neck. Grandpa Jim was furious and wanted to know how this could possibly happen. Joel was after all in a forward facing car seat in the back seat just as recommended.
Grandpa Jim:
A few days following the crash, "grandpa" vented his anger, and posted the story on a few car seat safety blogs, where he received hundreds of replies to his story. That response inspired this website & video to be created.
Grandpa Jim wrote passionate posts on car seat forums and created Joels Journey to tell others about the dangers of forward facing seats for young children. He wanted to inform other parents and grandparents of the huge benefits of rear facing. He quickly found out that most had no idea that rear facing was five times safer and a real life saver.
Joel broke his neck but was still fortunate to live and make good progress towards recovery. Grandpa Jim wanted the safest Swedish rear facing car seat possible which could handle a strong boy and protect his neck. A Swedish Britax Multi Tech with a 55 lbs rear facing limit was soon at Jims door.
Grandpa Jim was still furious about the lack of rear facing information and all young children who sat forward facing. He created a video with a clear message, keep your children rear facing! Jim received lots of publicity and appeared on TV and in newspapers.
Jim had an ambitious goal. He wanted to change the US policy of "rear facing to 1 year and 20 lbs". We stayed in contact through email and Jim contacted NHTSA, his representative at Congress, AAP, TV stations, etc. Jim wanted answers to why the recommended period for rear facing was so short in US? Where was the evidence? Where was the data supporting this? How come the Swedes say rear facing until age 4 and we say until 12 months?
Jim made very clear he was not going to give up. I took part of many of his letters to government and organisations which mostly were met by stonewalling or lame answers. But Jim never gave up. He kept on pushing, asking for answers and providing facts. And we are seeing the results today with a greatly improved policy which will save many lives and greatly reduce injuries.
Joel is today recovering well after many months in the hospital and countless hours of therapy. Grandpa Jim has reached his goal and simply says "The "Journey" is over".
Tragic accident kills parent – Rear facing child saved
A terrible accident occurred this week on a highway in a rural area outside Stockholm. The outcome was tragic but it could have been far worse. Josefin was on her way to day care early in the morning with her two children when a slow moving tractor with a large trailer crossed the road. There was no chance to stop, Josefin hit the trailer at high speed and died at the scene. She was only 27 years old.
Her husband was traveling in another car a few minutes behind and reached the scene to find the car destroyed and his wife deceased. Amazingly, the two children survived. A 5.5-year old traveling forward facing and a 2-year old traveling rear facing were pulled from the car. The older child had a severe concussion and some scrapes but will be fine. The rear facing child survived without a scratch and only got a few bruises. A very tragic accident which could have been much worse.
Frontal collisions above 70 km/h (44 mph) are normally counted as unsurvivable but we quite often see rear facing young children survive these types of accidents unharmed (Here is another example). Since we have been rear facing children in Sweden since 1965 we have learned a lot during all these years. The Swedish rear facing car seats have continued to evolve during the years but but rear facing is still as great today as in 1965.
Research is one thing, real life experience is another. Many things look great in research environment but are difficult to implement in real life. Rear facing looks great in research and the simple approach to keeping children safe in cars works great in real life. Our real life experience show it's almost impossible for a rear facing child to die or become seriously injured in a traffic accident regardless of circumstances. We therefore feel very comfortable with our strong recommendation of rear facing to at least 4 years of age.
Drive safely!
The Swedish (rear facing) car seat approach
How does Sweden keep young children so safe in cars? How come fatalities and serious injuries are close to zero for young children? This is a common question among foreigners. Ask a Swedish parent and the answer will be a shrug, parents feel like they are doing nothing special. The answer to our safety record is a very simple and affordable approach which is very effective in keeping the little ones safe in cars.
Sweden started focusing on car seat safety in 1960's, decades before other countries. We realized early on that many children were dying in traffic and that almost all of these fatalities could easily be prevented by simple and affordable mesures regardless of country. In the 1960's we also discovered how amazingly safe rear facing was, something which has saved the lives of a large amount of children since then.
Child fatalities in traffic has decreased but is even in 2010 a common reason for children dying in modern countries. Traffic accidents in USA are for example the number one cause of death among young children. Thing about that for a minute. Traffic is the largest killer of children in the country, far more common than any desease, drowning, etc. Almost all of these fatalities are easily preventable with simple and affordable measures.
Our approach is extremely simple and can basically be divided into three simple stages:
1. Infant stage – birth to around 6 months:
Children sit rear facing, normally in an infant seat. These seats are affordable and easy to use. Some parents use seats such as DuoLogic from birth which also works nicely.
2. Age 6 months to 4 years (or longer):
Children sit rear facing in our Swedish seats which provide unbelievable protection. We keep our kids rear facing mainly for the great protection of head and neck. As doctors say, "we can fix arms and legs – we can't fix head and neck". At this stage all children have weak neck muscles and a fragile skeleton. Head of a child is also proportionally very large, around 25% of total weight for a 12 month old. This makes forward facing a bad choice before age 4.
Most of our seats have rear facing weight limits of 25 kg (55 lbs) and some use 18 kg (40 lbs). The Swedish rear facing seats can be used comfortably until age 4-6 years in all positions of the car. Seats are overall compact, there are rear facing options for families with small cars as well.
Contrary to popular belief there is no law regarding rear facing use in Sweden. We use it since it's a safe and easy solution.
How safe is rear facing? Our experiences, going back to 1965, show that it's almost impossible for a child in a rear facing Swedish seat to die or become seriously injured regardless of circumstances.
3. Age 4-10 years:
Children sit forward facing in high back boosters (rear facing longer than age 4 would be far safer and preferred). A high back booster is necessary for two reasons. First, to keep seat belt across chest of child. The high back booster keeps seat belt in the right place and can be adjusted a children grow. Second, to keep the lower part of the seat belt, the lap part, below a child's abdomen.
Children have round and underdeveloped hip bones, also called iliac crest, which means seat belt will slide up on abdomen in a collision unless a booster is used. This can cause terrible internal injuries. A booster will keep seat belt low on the hips where the tremendous forces in a collision can be absorbed.
We do have parents who only use a booster cushion for their children and some who only use seat belt. The Swedes are doing a great job in keeping their kids safe in cars but there is still plenty of room for improvement.
It's easy to talk about car seat safety and theoretical approaches. How well does the Swedish approach work? Unbelievably well!!. How do we know this? We follow our own advice and our fatality rate for children age 0-6 years in traffic accidents is basically zero each year.
How come other countries don't follow our approach? Or at least try harder in lowering the amount of fatalities and serious injuries among young children? The answer is that car seat safety is a low priority in other countries despite taking the lives and seriously injuring an enormous amount of children each year.
Coming up next, some things we do and other things we avoid to keep our children safe in cars. The answers are likely to surprise you.
A Swedish rear facing car seat saves another life
Sunday was a very tragic day in Sweden. A horrible accident took place in the north of Sweden. It took the life of a mother, father and their 5-year old daughter. A 10-year girl is fighting for her life after being critically injured. The car somehow drove over to the opposite side of the road at 90 km/h (55 mph) and collided with a bus head on. The accident left the car unrecognizable, as seen in the photo above, and a dozen injured people on the bus.
The media attention was enormous all over the country. Television, radio and newspapers all had extensive reports. Crisis center was quickly set up for family, friends, etc. While we do have adults dying in traffic, still at a very low rate, it's extremely rare to have a 5-year old dying in a car accident in Sweden. By using our high weight rear facing car seats to keep our children rear facing mostly past age of 4, and then in a high back booster, our fatality rate in car accidents for age 0-6 years is basically zero.
This accident was very tragic but something amazing happened. One little girl was unharmed. A 1-year old girl survived this horrible crash thanks to her rear facing car seat. She was pulled out of the car unharmed, only with minor scratches. The girl was sitting rear facing in the front seat, airbag deactivated, and survived the crash in her rear facing car seat which according to unconfirmed reports was a Britax Hi-Way. Take a look at the car in the photo above and once again witness the incredible safety of a rear facing car seat.
Many believe the front seat is not a safe place for a young child. It's actually just as safe, or safer, than the rear when looking at all the factors as discussed here. Airbag must of course be deactivated. We have been rear facing children in Sweden since 1965 and during all these years we have learned a lot.
One thing which is rarely surprising to the car seat professionals is the amazing safety of a rear facing car seat. A head on frontal collision at 90 km/h (55 mph) is not really survivable but a Swedish rear facing car seat provide a baby or a toddler with a great chance of surviving even the most horrible accident.