Anatomy of a car crash - Should children face front or rear?

Sweden is the only country in Europe where children are advised to sit rear-facing until three or four years old. As Volvo's crash test shows, the rear-facing child has a very different experience from a front-facing child in the same accident.

'A child’ head weighs a lot more in proportion to the body than an adult's, and the neck is weak. That is why we strongly believe that children should travel in rearward-facing child restraints until they are three–four years old,' says Lotta Jacobson, Child Safety Specialist at Volvo. 'In a frontal impact a rearward-facing child’ whole body is supported, which minimises relative movements between the head and torso.'

Only in a rear shunt would the opposite apply, but these make up just 10% of accidents, and are usually far less severe than impacts to the front and side of the car.

Volvo has been researching child safety in cars since the early 1960s, and in 1970 its Traffic Accident Research Team was established. This studies car crashes involving newer Volvos in Sweden, uses the research to develop new safety innovations.

• Volvo crash test footage on Windows Media
• Volvo crash test footage on on Real Player