Britax Marathon Rear Facing

Toddlers are usually switched from rear-facing to forward-facing car seats right after their first birthday - an event many parents may celebrate as a kind of milestone. But in a new policy statement, the nation's leading pediatricians' group says that is a year too soon.

BRITAX knows that safety is of paramount importance when choosing a car seat, but also that every family is unique and has different concerns and practicalities to consider.

Government advice to turn your child forward facing at 9 months is putting their life at risk. In other European countries, children stay rear facing until they are 4 years old, and the new US recommendation is 2 years old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics now advises parents to keep toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age two, or until they exceed the height and weight limit for the car seat, which may be well past the second birthday. The reason for the new guidelines? Rear-facing is five times safer than facing forward.