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.
Rear facing and side impact collisions
Many parents ask about side impact protection of Swedish rear facing car seats. All kinds of fancy slogans are used to promote side impact protection for different brands around the world. Especially for forward facing seats. Swedish children were first placed rear facing in 1965 and during all these years we've learned a thing or two of how to keep children safe in cars. Side impact collisions are thankfully not the most common but sadly the most deadly accidents.
If we look at all collisions we find that frontal collisions account for roughly 70%, side collisions for 25% and rear collisions the remaining 5%. This is why car safety is optimized for the front seat and why a child is as safe or safer in the front seat as long as airbag in passenger seat is deactivated. This fact is not what most parents have been taught, more about this can be found here.
Side impact protection has been greatly improved over the years, thanks to great work by car manufacturers, but collisions from the side are still our most deadly kind of accidents. The front of our cars can withstand horrific crashes while even low speed accidents from the side can be deadly. When looking at test results and crash videos one could easily believe that forward facing seats provide excellent side impact protection for our little ones. Things are unfortunately very different in real life due to "pre-impact breaking".
Pre-impact braking occur in a high percentage of accidents from the side and basically means that a driver hits the brakes just before impact. This makes a big difference in how our children's vulnerable head and neck area is protected.
In a typical side collision, head of a forward facing child will be thrown forward just before collision due to pre-impact breaking. This leads to poor protection despite deep "side wings" regardless if it's a harnessed or a high back booster seat. A rear facing child is far more fortunate. In an accident a rear facing child will be pushed further into the car seat just before collision, due to pre-impact breaking, leading to excellent protection for the weak neck and head area. As any doctor will say: "We can fix arms, legs and many other things. We can't fix head and neck".
We should focus mostly on the more common frontal collisions but keeping our children rear facing for a long time is also a great way to keep vulnerable head and neck area well protected in side impact collisions.
Are car seats in front seat safe?
Front seat of a car is sometimes called "suicide seat", "death trap" and "child killer" by parents on various internet forums. The Swedes, widely recognized as being 30 years ahead of other countries in car seat safety, use the front seat extensively with airbag deactivated and have an unbelievable safety record for children. What's fact and what's fiction? Is the front seat safe?
We often say that a child is as safe in the front seat as in the rear seat as long as airbag is deactivated. In reality, a child is likely even safer in the front seat when considering all the various factors.
Contrary to popular opinion, the front seat is an excellent place for a child as long as airbag is deactivated with key or switch. Trusting deactivation with a sensor, except perhaps the Mercedes solution, is something we don't feel so comfortable about. Can you trust deactivation with key or switch? Absolutely! Some of the finest and most safety conscious car brands in the world use this solution andhave done so safely for many years.
What makes front seat such a safe and practical place for a rear facing child as long as airbag is deactivated? A few reasons below:
- Optimized front seat: Cars are optimized for safety in front seat. We don't know how and when a crash will take place but we do know there will always be someone in a front seat
- Strength of dashboard: Dashboard, or what's on the inside, is the strongest point in a car. Frontal collisions account for about 75% of all accidents, protection is therefore very important and a high priority.
- Leg space for child: Parents are often (unnecessary) concerned about leg space for their child. It's a common car seat myth that children are uncomfortable or unsafe if legs are bent. Parents therefore often turn children around forward facing way too early. Using the front seat is practical and increases leg space for a child while also leaving space in the back for a passenger. We know for a fact rear facing is 500% safer than forward facing, parents using front seat often keep their child rear facing an additional year which makes a huge difference in safety.
- Less distractions: Research has shown keeping a child in front seat is less distractive than rear seat. Children are calmer, especially smaller babies, since they can see mom/dad. It's easy to communicate with a child in the front seat. Parents can also see their child in peripheral vision and focus on the road. Is your child screaming when alone in back seat? Using front seat next to mommy/daddy is likely to work much better.
- Flexible placement: Larger families, three or more young children, often struggle to find good and safe seating arrangements for their kids. Using front seat means children are more likely to sit properly restrained.
- Leg space for parents: Long rear facing time is great but not if parents are cramped in front seat or it's unusable. There are some rear facing seats in other countries which have taller seat shells and slightly higher weight limit (nothing like 25 kg. or 55 lbs though) but these seats often require an enormous amount of space. One example is the US seat Radian which has a taller seat shell than other seats but often needs so much space it makes front seat unusable. Being able to use front seat is practical and provide good leg space for child in front and also for a person in the back.
Research has shown ages ago that front seat is an excellent place for a child. Safety conscious brands such as Volvo also state very clearly that front seat is just as safe as the rear seat for car seats. Research and theory is one thing, how does rear facing in front seat work in real life? It works amazingly well.
Swedish fatality rates for children in traffic accidents aged 0-6 years are close to zero each year largely thanks to keeping children rear facing until age 4 or longer. Sweden started keeping children rear facing in 1965, a large percentage of Swedish children today sit rear facing in the front seat with airbag deactivated with fantastic results.
Using the front seat for a rear facing child is practical and very safe, this has been shown by research and real life experiences. Please remember to always deactivate airbag with key, switch or service center! Next time someone tells you front seat is "dangerous" you know it's just fiction:-)
Enjoy your weekend!
Rear facing in real life
Many parents wonder how the Swedes keep their kids rear facing until age 4 or longer. How does a parent fit one, two, or three rear facing seats in the rear and still have room left in front? Is a large car necessary or will a mid size, or small car, work as well?
The Swedish rear facing seats are unique since they have tall seat shells but still don't need much room. A regular mid size car will keep a toddler or two rear facing in he back seat until age 4 or longer. Space in the front will still be fine. A good example are the photos below with a DuoLogic and a Britax Hi-Way in a normal VW Golf, a regular mid size car.
This is surprising to most parents, a common myth told by organizations who hate rear facing is that a rear facing seat in the rear means no space left in the front regardless of car. Just yesterday a worried parent emailed asking about using DuoLogic in a Volkswagen Passat, a large family car. She had just spoken to a very well known organization who told her "there is no way it will fit".
Not only will it fit well in a Passat, there is lots of room in the front seat. DuoLogic and the compact Britax Hi-Way will also fit nicely in much smaller cars, such as a VW Golf. This car is one of the most common in the world, two Swedish rear facing seats in the rear seat with plenty of room in the front is no problem (see photos above, click for larger size).
These incorrect statements by organisations, who know next to nothing about rear facing seats, are of course confusing for parents. Leg space in front seat is an important consideration when choosing a car seat since we want the whole family to be comfortable in the car. If you have questions about how rear facing Swedish car seats fit your car please email us at info@carseat.se and we'll help you out.
Britax Two-Way saves a life!
Collisions are terrible and scary but does occur more often than we like. The whole point with using a Swedish rear facing car seat is to keep our children safe in case of an accident. Hearing of unharmed kids in severe collisions is always a relief. Phoebe uses a Britax Two-Way for her son and was hit at high speed. She was kind to include details of her crash and photos of the car which was totally destroyed. Only person not injured in the crash was her son in his Britax Two-Way:
Hi Håkan
