Organisation: Axkid
Date of Publication: March 2025
Uploaded to Knowledge Centre: 14 April 2025
This study found that the majority of parents turn their children forward-facing before the age of four – despite evidence from crash tests proving rear-facing seats are up to five times safer.
The research, among 1,000 UK and 1,000 Swedish parents, found that just 22% of UK children aged two to four-years-old remain in rear-facing car seats, ‘putting them at increased risk of life-threatening injury in the event of a crash’.
In contrast, 83% of Swedish parents surveyed said their children aged two to four-years-old remain in rear-facing car seats.
Rear-facing seats offer the highest level of protection by effectively distributing crash forces and significantly reducing the risk of serious neck and head injuries in a collision, the report says. Only rear-facing car seats can pass the Swedish Plus Test – the world’s toughest car seat crash test.
Both the UK and Sweden follow the same United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) regulations, which permit forward-facing travel from 15 months. However, in Sweden, national recommendations go much further – strongly encouraging rear-facing travel until at least the age of four.
This consistent and evidence-led guidance, supported by health authorities, retailers and car seat manufacturers, has created a culture where extended rear-facing use is the norm since the 1960s.
Additionally, the study revealed that 15% of UK parents with children under two and 14% with children aged two to four admitted they do not always secure their child in a car seat. This means thousands of babies and toddlers are regularly travelling without proper protection.
In Sweden, just 3% of parents with children under two and 2% with children aged two to four admitted they do not always ensure their child is secured in a car seat.
The study also revealed concerning behaviours and a significant lack of awareness and understanding among UK parents about child car seat safety:
- 44% of parents surveyed said they did not know the minimum legal age of 15 months for forward-facing travel and 11% said it was younger than the legal age
- 55% of parents said they did not know how tall a child has to be legally in order to travel without a car seat or booster seat (from 135cm) and 23% said it was shorter than the legal height
- 83% of parents said there should be clearer recommendations on how children can travel safely in cars