Rear View Until Age Two
Automobile accidents are one of the top causes of morbidity and mortality for children. In fact, automobile crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for children ages 4 and older. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a new policy statement recommending that ‘all children be restrained in a rear-facing position in the back seat of the vehicle until they reach age 2 or the highest weight or height allowed by the care safety seat manufacturer’. Other recommendations cited in the policy for keeping children safe while riding in passenger vehicles include:
1) Children ages 2 and older or those who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit should remain in a forward-facing car safety seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the limits allowed by the seat manufacturer.
2) All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their car safety seat should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle lap-and-shoulder seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
3) When children are old enough and large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should always use lap-and-shoulder seat belts for optimal protection.
4) All children under age 13 should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection.