Rear facing car safety seats (RFCSS) are greater than 5 times more effective than forward facing car safety seats (FFCSS) for protecting children during the second year of life; however, many drivers orient the child forward facing earlier than necessary. Data from 2008 showed that 21% of infants who should be rear facing were observed forward facing.Prior studies have identified forward facing orientation as a risk factor for cervical injuries among young children. Infants and young children are particularly susceptible when compared with older children and adults to cervical spinal injuries when forward facing because of the relatively large head, lax cervical ligaments, and weak cervical muscles that can result in increased cervical spinal cord tension load during a motor vehicle crash.
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