To whom it may concern,
I live in Ilkley and I am the mum of a 9month-old little boy.
I have become aware of the issue surrounding group 1 rear facing car seats through local information website MoorMums.co.uk. In summary, it is much safer for children under 4 years to travel in rear facing car seats than in forward facing. Safety tests have shown that in a head-on collision, children under 4 are at risk of suffering from internal organ damage (due to their bones being softer than an adult’s) and a break in the spine or ‘internal decapitation’ (due to the relative size of their heads).
In Sweden, the use of rear facing car seats for children up to 4 years is widespread. This has meant that they have significantly reduced the number of deaths and injuries in small children. In fact, between July 2006 and November 2007 not a single child under the age of 6 years old was killed in a car crash in Sweden (Source: VTI Sweden). According to the AA’s website, 205 children are injured in car crashes in the UK every year and 21 are killed.
I am also concerned that due to the higher cost of rear facing seats (around £200 to £300), many poorer parents will have to choose forward facing seats. I would like to see incentive schemes introduced to either reduce the cost of these seats to disadvantaged families or allow them to rent the seat, thus spreading the cost over the 3 years of use.
If you would like any further information on this issue, please do not hesitate to visit the MoorMums website where there is a detailed information page on the issue: www.MoorMums.co.uk/baby-tips/baby-products/rear-facing-car-seats/
Kind regards,
