Parents are being urged to think twice before moving their children into forward-facing car seats after new research suggests that doing so too early could have fatal consequences.
The warning comes as road safety experts report a worrying decline in awareness of child car seat recommendations among parents, despite decades of progress in improving child safety on the roads.
New findings presented at the international Child and Safety Conference in Gothenburg revealed that around half of children aged between 0 and 3 who died in car crashes may have survived – if they had been travelling in rear-facing car seats.
Researchers say keeping children rear-facing for as long as possible remains the single most important step parents can take to improve their child’s safety when travelling by car and even when children begin to outgrow their car seats physically, the safest option is to keep them rear-facing for as long as possible – ideally up to the age of seven, according to Axkid’s recommendations.
Anton Wall, Vice President and Commercial Director at Axkid, said:
“We want to take responsibility for child safety across the entire ecosystem. It is not enough to focus solely on our own product category – we need a broader perspective. By bringing together leading experts and researchers from across the industry, we can share insights and strengthen our collective efforts to protect children on the roads.
Sweden’s commitment to rear-facing travel stretches back decades. In addition to being an early adopter of seatbelt legislation, the country has consistently pioneered innovations that improve road safety. These efforts contributed to the historic milestone reached in 2021, when no child under the age of 15 died in a passenger car on Swedish roads.”
Parents need access to information and research on Car Safety – and awareness of recommendations
Anna Carlsson, Researcher at Chalmers Industriteknik, commented on the success in Sweden, saying:
“It is an incredible achievement, but we must remember that new generations of parents need access to this knowledge. We cannot take awareness for granted. Continuous education is essential if we want to maintain the safety leadership Sweden has built over many decades.”
15% of Parents With Young Children Unaware of Current Child Car Seat Recommendations
A recent survey by Axkid and Volvia found that awareness of car seat recommendations is slipping. The study showed that 15 per cent of parents with young children were unfamiliar with current child car seat guidance, compared with just 5 per cent five years ago.
Only 38 per cent of parents surveyed knew the earliest recommended age for moving a child into a forward-facing seat.
Maria Klingegård, Traffic Safety Researcher at Folksam, presented new research examining fatal crashes involving children.
She said:
“We see that an alarmingly high proportion of children involved in fatal crashes were either completely unrestrained or not travelling in rear-facing car seats. Our analysis shows that approximately half of the children aged 0–3 who lost their lives could have survived if they had been travelling rear-facing. Keeping children rear-facing for as long as possible remains the single most important factor in protecting children in vehicles.”
The research examined fatal crashes involving children under the age of 15 in Sweden between 1992 and 2024, with a detailed analysis of children aged up to six years old.
Safety specialists recommend that children remain rear-facing for as long as possible, ideally until around seven years of age if their seat allows. Experts also advise using a high-back booster seat or booster cushion until a child is between 10 and 12 years old to ensure seatbelts fit correctly and provide maximum protection.
For parents, the message from researchers is clear: while children may appear physically ready for a forward-facing seat, the safest option is often to keep them rear-facing for much longer than many families realise.
