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A child’s proportions are different from that of an adult. A child’s head weighs 25% of their total body weight compared to an adult, which is 6%.
As well as having a disproportionately large head to body size ratio children also have fragile, flexible and poorly developed neck muscles. When a child is forward facing and a frontal collision occurs, the child’s head is flung forward in the seat. This will cause an enormous amount of stress in the neck. A child’s neck and spine are vulnerable because their spins are still soft and not yet solidified like an adult’s. In a crash if the spinal cord stretches too far, a mere quarter of an inch, it can snap.
Just look at these videos to see the difference in forces on the child's neck for a head-on collision. (Videos courtesy of Folksam Insurance Company used with permission).
The head of a child also has quite different proportions. The back of the head, and therefore the brain, is oversized compared with the face. Head injuries in a child therefore often involve brain damage. The internal organs are also vulnerable. A soft rib cage under the harness will bend rather than snap. This will limit protection of internal organs such as the heart and the spleen. If a child is travelling rear facing and a collision occurs the whole of the child’s back will take the impact instead of only the area where the harness touches the body. This will protect the neck, head, spine and internal organs.
In a forward facing seat the neck is subjected to a force equivalent to 300-320kg, while in a rear facing seat, the force on the neck is equivalent to 50kg. That is 6 times less in a rear facing car seat.
In summary, a rear-facing car seat offers the best protection for your toddler in the types of car crashes that you are most likely to be in.
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