Safe seats
Published
A new national campaign aims to better protect child passengers and support the Government’s target of reducing child road deaths and serious injuries by 70 per cent by 2035.
Rear Face for Safety
is calling for parents to keep children rear-facing until at least four years old – supported by evidence showing they are up to five times safer travelling rear-facing than forward-facing.
In a frontal collision, rear-facing seats offer enhanced protection for a child’s head, neck and spine by distributing crash forces across the back of the child car seat.
Led by Axid, Rear Face For Safety aims to ensure parents receive clear, evidence-based information and advice from healthcare professionals, public health teams, retailers, maternity and early years services, and government. Supporters include the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT), Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), Road Safety Foundation, and the AA Charitable Trust.
In 2024, 22 children were killed and 537 were seriously injured in cars on UK roads. In the same year, 42 per cent of car occupants aged under 16 killed in collisions were not wearing a seatbelt or appropriate restraint. Recent data suggests only around 22 per cent of UK children aged two to four travel rear-facing compared with 83 per cent in Sweden.
To follow the Rear Face for Safety campaign and show your support visit: Rear Face for Safety campaign sign-up page
