Throughout most of Europe and the US infants travel in a rear facing car seat up until the age of one (or younger) before they are turned around in a front facing car seat, but did you know that children in a rear facing car seat are 5 times safer than if they were in a front facing car seat and that in Scandinavian countries children stay in rear facing car seats until they are 4 years old? Car seat manufacturers do make rear facing car seats for older children, but they just aren't marketed in the UK due to a perceived lack of demand. The biggest difference in safety is for under 2's.

( See for yourself )

There are lots of myths about rear facing car travel. Lots of people will tell you that their children hated their rear facing infant seat and were only happy when they were turned around. This is undoubtedly true, but what people don't realise is that it was not the change in direction that made the difference, but the change to a Group 1 car seat. We experienced exactly the same, but our son has never been forward facing. Another myth is that there is no space for their legs in rear facing car seats or that their legs would be broken in an accident. There is enough room for the children's legs in a proper rear facing car seat and there has never been a reported case of any such leg injuries, but even if it did happen - legs can mend, spinal cords can't.

* Car Seat Safety: Rear-facing is safest

* Rear Facing - the way forward - includes information about where to buy a rear facing seat in the UK

* Carseat.se - excellent source of information about rear facing car seats

* An Accident Study of the Performance of Restraints Used by Children Aged Three Years and Under - this report examines police data from fatal accidents involving children and concludes that the majority (8 out 10) of children killed whilst in forward facing car seats would be alive today had they been in the same accident and in a rear facing car seat.