Turn My Car Seat at Two or Extended Rear Facing?

“My little one is turing two next month. I have been so excited to turn her car seat around at two years, but now I’m hearing all of this media coverage about extended rear facing. Is it really that big of a deal if I turn her around at two? Isn’t that the law?”

However, there is strong evidence to support extended rear facing.

If an older child is rear-facing, a lot of parents ask about either the child’s legs being broken in the event of a collision, or the bigger child being uncomfortable while riding in the vehicle. Crash data shows that leg injuries are rare for children who ride rear-facing and are equally as likely to occur in the rear-facing position as the forward-facing position. Riding forward-facing does, however, increase the risk of head and spinal injuries, which are far more serious than a broken leg.

At the end of the day, parents have to decide what is best for their family, but it is so important to have the facts and data to make an informed decision!