Go backwards It is, according to experts, the safest way for children to travel since in case of frontal collision (the most frequent and harmful type of accident) the lesions would be reduced by up to 90%.
It is not the first time that, unfortunately, we echo terrible traffic accidents in which minors are involved. On this occasion, the accident has taken place in Tarragona and the only survivor has been a baby traveling backwards.
Counter-march saves lives
Yesterday we learned the terrible news of a traffic accident that occurred on a two-way road in Tarragona, which has involved two vehicles in a frontal crash and has taken the lives of three people ahead: a marriage, traveling on a tourist and a man driving a van.
In tourism, a nine-month-old baby was also traveling in the back of the car in a chair upside down, next to his father. The baby has been the only survivor of the brutal accident, and was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Research sources suggest that the baby saved his life thanks to the child restraint device in which he was traveling. And we have already commented several times but it never hurts to remember the importance of taking our children to counterattack as long as possible.
Up to four years, at least
The weight of a child's head with respect to his body is proportionally greater than that of an adult and this, together with his poor neck muscles, makes you really vulnerable when it comes to having a frontal impact with the vehicle.
As a firefighter from the Community of Madrid explained in this video, the head of a small child is 25-30% of the weight of his body and in case of sudden braking or collision, he goes forward with such a force large that your neck may be seriously damaged.
According to experts, the maximum load that would support the neck of a three year old boy is 130 kilos. From there, he could suffer serious injuries or even death. In a crash in which the child travels in favor of the march, the load that his neck would have to bear would amount to 230-300 kilos of weight.
If the child travels in reverse, in case of collision the load of his neck would only have to support between 30-40 kilos of weight, greatly minimizing the risk of serious injury.Therefore, and as advised by the DGT and road safety experts children should travel backwards until, physically, it is impossible to do so; This is minimum until four years of age and preferably up to five, six or even more.
What does the regulation say about it?
Many parents admit that they do not take their children backwards because the regulations do not oblige them and, therefore, think that "it is not so important."
Remember that currently there are two regulations in Spain that regulate child restraint systems: the ECE R44 / 04 regulations (in force since 1982) and the ECE R129 or i-Size regulations (in force since 2013).
In the market we will find chairs approved with one or another regulation, although it is expected that in 2018 (the exact date is not yet known) ECE R44 / 04 regulations disappear and with it their chairs also do, with ECE R129 or i-Size regulations exclusively in force (you can read more information at Fundación Mapfre).
The oldest regulations, the ECE R44 / 04, obliges to travel backwards up to 9 kilos (9 months approximately). From that moment, many parents choose to change their chair children and pass them to a group I in the direction of the march, without being aware of the serious risk that this gesture can entail.
Among other things, what is intended to be avoided with the new ECE R129 regulations is for children to travel ahead of the march too soon, so All chairs approved under these regulations will require travel to the rear until 15 months minimum.
In any case, and despite the fact that the ECE R129 regulation takes another step in the use of back-up chairs extending its use up to 15 months, it is important to be aware that this age is still insufficient.Although it is very widespread socially to place children facing the march from 12 months (or 13 kilos, if we are using a group 0+), we must know that there are many models of chairs on the market to countermarch that can be used up to 25 kilos of weight or 120 cm in height.
So, let's bet on offering our children maximum security and let us not be influenced by opinions or, unfortunately, it is more widespread. It's proven, turning it around can save your life!
Image of the "Turn it around" campaign Via Antena 3
In Babies and More Turn it over: why children have to go in the car backwards, why children should go in the car backwards until at least 4 years old, both babies suffered the same car accident: the one that I was going in a chair against the counter, it came out unharmed, the other one suffered serious damage. The firefighters in Madrid explain why the children have to travel backwards, I appreciate their opinions, but my daughter will continue to go backwards
