Your child should sit in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Sometimes
• D. Not sure

Answer: (A)

Rear-facing seats provide the most protection for a young child in a crash. When the child is facing the rear, the back of the car seat cradles the head, neck, and spine and the harness spreads crash forces over the strongest parts of the body. This setup reduces the risk of severe head and neck injuries, which is especially important because a young child’s head is large relative to their body and their neck muscles are not fully developed. The safest approach is to keep the child rear-facing as long as the seat's weight or height limits allow, then transition to forward-facing when they outgrow those limits.