Rear Facing Installations

Children under 6 months of age must travel in a rear facing restraint (type A1/A2/A4). Tidy Riders recommends that where possible, children under the age of 3 years travel in a rear facing position. 

 

  • Type A1 restraints are infant capsules that are installed in a rear facing position for newborns and infants.
  • Type A2 restraints are fully harnessed convertible car seats that offer a rear facing position until around 12 months old, then convert to a forward facing car seat that can be used until the child is around 4 years old.
  • Type A4 car seats are fully harnessed convertible car seats that offer an extended rear facing position until around 30 months old, then convert to a forward facing car seat that can be used until the child reaches the exit height marker on the restraint. Generally this is estimated to be at around 4 years old, however many children can continue using a type A2/A4 restraint well beyond 4 years old. 

 

A child can continue to travel rear facing until 4 years of age, as long as they are under the height marker on their restraint that reads 'must be forward facing if shoulders are above this line'.

Pros

Provides superior safety, and protection of the head and neck

Allows for a more comfortable position sleeping position for children who still nap

Supports optimal hip positioning and provides better postural supports for developing bodies

5x safer than forward facing, significantly reduces the risk of spinal injuries 

Cons

Not all vehicles will have the capacity to accomodate a rear facing car seat

In some instances, a rear facing position can contribute to motion sickness

A rear facing car seat may impact the available seating area in the front of the cabin

The top tether may add an additional challenge for people with impaired mobility

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Should Travel Rear Facing?

It is a legal requiremnt for all children under 6 months old to travel in a rear facing position. However, it is not recommended for any child under 12 months of age to travel in a forward facing position unless absolutly necessary. Tidy Riders recommends that children under 3 years old travel in a rear facing position if they are under the 'must be forward facing when shoulders are above this line' height marker on their restraint.

Research shows it is up to 5x safer for children to travel in a rear facing position. If you child's shoulders have not yet met the "must be forward facing" height marker and they are under four years old, they can remain rearward facing.

 

How do I know if I have an extended rear facing car seat?

In Australia, restraints are divided into categories. A restraint that offers extended rear facing is known as an A4 car seat.

An A4 car seat will have three height markers located on the covers of the restraint compared to an A2 car seat that will only have two.

My child's legs look squashed, is it time to turn them?

No, this is not an indication that it is time to turn your child forward facing. As your child grows, their legs will start to have a natural bend when they sit rear facing in their car seat. This is not something to worry about, and your child will position their legs in a way that is comfortable for them. 

The incidence of children sustaining significant leg injury as a result of being rear facinging is increadibly low. Whereas the potential risk of serious injury to the neck and spine from prematurly forward facing a child is significant and could cause severe and life long injuries, or dealth.

My child gets car sick when rear facing, what should I do?

While it is best practice for a child to remain rear facing for as long as possible, there are some situations where forward facing may be requiired.

Some children experience severe motion sickness that is worsened when travelling in a rear facing position. Frequent vomiting when travelling rear facing can become a choking hazard. If your child experiences frequent vomiting when travelling rear facing, you may decide have your child travel in a forward facing position.

How tight should I pull the harness?

As a simple guide, you should be pulling the harness tightly enough that if you were to flip the restraint upsidedown with the child sitting inside, you would be confident the child's body would stay secured within the harness. While this might seem extreme, the restraints job is to keep the child secured in the event your vehicle is involved in a major collision. 

Ask yourself: If my car rolled over, would the harness keep child in the car seat?

Should I add any accessories to my car seat?

The short answer is, no. Manufacturers recommend only using the accessories that come with the restraint unless absolutely necessary and only using approved accessories if you do. For example, the "Britax Newborn Infant Insert" can be use with rear facing Britax restraints in addition to the intert that comes with the car seat. However, it should not be used with restraints not manufacured by Britax.

NEVER use aftermarket neck pillows, harness pads, head positioners or other similar accessories. These may impact the correct funtioning of the restraint and could create strangulation or suffocation risks.

Will I need additional hardware to install my restraint?

In some situations, you may need to use additional hardware in order to achieve a secure installation. This might include gated buckles, top tether extensions, or anchor points.

Your installer will discuss this with you at the time of installation.